Ariana Grande Apologizes Again For Doughnut-Licking Incident

Photo courtesy of TMZ

By City News Service

Pop star Ariana Grande issued a second apology Thursday for anti-American comments and licking doughnuts that had been left on a tray on a counter at a Lake Elsinore doughnut shop.

Grande said she issued the second apology “because I kind of missed my opportunity to actually sincerely apologize and express how I was feeling because I was too busy preaching about my issues with the food industry.”

“I was trying to get you to understand where I was coming from when I said what I said,” Grande said.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Ariana Grande Investigated for Alleged Doughnut-Licking Incident
• Update: Donut-Licking Incident Leads to Downgrade of Elsinore Shop

In a four-minute, five-second video posted on the video sharing website YouTube to apologize for what she called the “doughnut fiasco and craziness,” Grande said she’s “never been prouder to be an American... with the advances we’ve made in the past couple months and all the wonderful progressive things that have been going on.”

Grande called “seeing a video of yourself behaving poorly that you have no idea was taken is such a rude awakening.”

“I was so disgusted with myself,” Grande said. “I wanted to shove my face in a pillow and wanted to disappear. But instead of that, I’m going to come forward and own up to what I did and take responsibility and say I’m sorry.

“I reacted in a way that I feel like wasn’t necessary to say the least but also wasn’t me at all. I apologize for my wrong choice of words and for my behavior. Seeing how ugly it looks when you behave a certain way makes you want to never behave that way again.”

Grande said she “was really embarrassed.”

“I never want to be anything but a positive influence on my favs or my loves or anyone who pays attention to me,” Grande said. “I feel like I let you all down, which sucks.

“It has not been an easy 24 hours. It’s been rough. I made a mistake and I’m being judged by it which I understand because I watched it and I’m just as disappointed in myself.

“I’m 22 years old. I’m human. I still got a lot to learn. I make mistakes and that’s how I’m going to learn. I’m going to use the mistakes as a platform to learn and to grow and become better.”

Grande took to Twitter on Wednesday to issue her initial apology, insisting her comments were said “in a private moment” and “taken out of context.”

“I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I’ve always made it clear that I love my country,” she wrote. “... As an advocate for healthy eating, food is very important to me and I sometimes get upset by how freely we as Americans eat and consume things without giving any thought to the consequences that it has on our health and society as a whole.

“... However I should have known better in how I expressed myself; and with my new responsibility to others as a public figure I will strive to be better,” she wrote.

On the video of the doughnut-licking, which occurred on the Fourth of July, Grande is also heard saying she hates America and Americans.

The video shows Grande and a man patronizing Wolfee Donuts at 29997 Canyon Hills Road about 11:30 p.m. Saturday “maliciously lick” doughnuts left on a display shelf, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The shop owner took the video to detectives Tuesday and filed a report, saying the doughnuts were deliberately tampered with.

Sheriff’s spokesman Armando Munoz told City News Service the matter is being handled by the Department of Environmental Health and there was no further investigation pending.

California health laws require restaurants to protect all food from contact with the public. Doughnut shop manager Ricky Marin said the doughnuts sold out that night, so it’s possible someone ate those licked by Grande and her friend.

According to the Department of Environmental Health, the incident prompted an inspection Wednesday that led to the establishment losing a letter grade, dropping from an “A” to a “B.”

“The inspection revealed various violations that resulted in the facility receiving a score of 86,” said agency spokesman Keith Jones.

Jones said the store owner, Joe Marin, will have a week to make corrections, after which another inspection will take place.

The inspection report noted that “video associated with the complaint shows trays of donuts placed on top of the display case where customers had access.”

“Discontinue any sales of contaminated food product,” the report concluded. “Video footage shows customers licking donuts incorrectly placed on counter.

“Manager said that employee working at time of incident was not aware that donuts had been contaminated and placed them back in display case for sale.

”(Owner must) ensure that all employees are trained to place trays of donuts on rolling racks behind counter and never in an area where customer contamination can occur.”

The shop was also downgraded for failure to clean shelves, repair a broken floor and door and implement appropriate “utensil washing” procedures.

A store employee was swapping out older doughnuts with fresh ones when she placed them on the shelf, according to Joe Marin. Grande asked the employee to retrieve fresh doughnuts from the back of the bakery, so the employee left the tray of powered doughnuts on the display unattended, according to published reports.

It was then that Grande and her friend licked the tray during a game of “Truth or Dare,” Marin said.

The celebrity news website TMZ identified the man as Grande’s boyfriend and backup dancer, Ricky Alvarez.

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, reacted to the incident in a tweet Wednesday, saying “Dear Ariana: love your music, but next time u come 2 my city for donuts -- pay before you lick.”