Hundreds of people gathered on Friday to honor the late Aretha Franklin at her funeral in Detroit as thousands more watched from home. The service's attendees included Ariana Grande, who performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and caught flack for wearing a short dress. Viewers also took note of how Bishop Charles H. Ellis III grabbed Grande above the waist after her performance and made a joke about her name sounding like something on a Taco Bell menu.
Now Bishop Ellis, who led the ceremony, is apologizing for his misplaced hand. "It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast...I don’t know I guess I put my arm around her," read his statement (via the Associated Press). "Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologize."
"I hug all the female artists and the male artists," he continued. "Everybody that was up, I shook their hands and hugged them. That’s what we are all about in the church. We are all about love." Bishop Ellis also stressed that he didn't want to end up becoming a distraction, as "this is all about Aretha Franklin."
Bishop Ellis also apologized for comparing Grande's name to a Taco Bell item.
"I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community," he 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."
Grande has not made a public comment on the incident or Bishop Ellis' apology.
