Ariana Grande did not receive the RESPECT that she, and all other women for that matter, deserved during Aretha Franklin's funeral.  Ariana was invited to perform 'Natural Woman' during the services, but before she did she had to be introduced by Bishop Charles H. Ellis III.

During the introduction, the Bishop placed his arm around Ariana and began to touch her breast with his fingers.  Ariana was visibly and pulled away, but tried not to make a scene out of respect for funeral that was taking place.

This incident was insanely inappropriate and it's a shame that Grande had to endure this type of treatment at the funeral of one of Mowtown's pioneering women, Aretha Franklin.

Not only did Bishop Charles H. Ellis III inappropriately grab Grande, he did so while making a joke about her ethnicity.  "When I saw Ariana Grande on the program, I thought that was a new something at Taco Bell."  Really?  First off, you'd have to be totally out of touch with pop music to not know who Ariana Grande is.  And secondly, a Taco Bell joke because a person's name is Hispanic?  Those jokes were never funny, let alone in 2018.

Bishop Charles H. Ellis III is the is an American Apostolic Pentecostal preacher, author and the current Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. He is the pastor of the 6,000 member Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan. [via Wikipedia]

Bishop Charles H. Ellis III has since made an apology, but it really didn't seem that sincere:

"It would never be my intention to touch any woman's breast. ... I don't know I guess I put my arm around her," Ellis said. "Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologize."

He also apologized about the ethnic joke he made:

"I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community," Ellis said. "When you're doing a program for nine hours you try to keep it lively, you try to insert some jokes here and there."

What do you think?  Are these apologies adequate?  Is this whole situation blown out of proportion?

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