Bishop Charles H. Ellis III has learned the hard way to have more respect for Ariana Grande and all other women.
The man of God led the service at Aretha Franklin‘s funeral at the Greater Grace Temple on Friday.
Thousands of fans and famous faces including Stevie Wonder and Bill Clinton gathered in Detroit, Michigan to bid the Queen of Soul a final goodbye.
Miss Grande was asked to honor the diva and activist by performing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
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After the performance, the 25-year-old was greeted by Bishop Charles H. Ellis who made an unusual joke where he compared her to a meal from Taco Bell.
The religious leader said: “I’ve got to apologize to you because I have to brush up. My 28-year-old daughter tells me, ‘Dad! You are old at 60.’because when I saw Ariana Grande on the program, I thought that was a new something from Taco Bell.”
Grande, who first seemed perplexed, listened on as the bishop added: “Girl let me give you all of the respect! Did you enjoy this icon? She is an icon herself. Come on, make her feel loved!”
Many were quick to notice that the bishop was groping the petite performer during the ceremony and he was called out on social media for his inappropriate behavior.
One person said it was supposed to be a celebration of the life and legacy of the soul singer and Bishop Charles ruined it.
“I’m still lost as to why he needed to be touching her in the first place,” the comment read.
Another critic of the bishop made it clear that the length of Grande’s dress does not make it right for anyone to touch her against her will.
The Grande supporter shared: “There was nothing wrong with her dress, & how a woman dresses is not an invitation for anybody to touch her inappropriately. And just because she doesn’t have large breasts, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. She was touched where she shouldn’t have been. You can’t continue to maneuver in this world by being this stupid.”
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In an interview, he apologized for the groping and semi-racist joke.
The man said: “It was never my intention to touch any woman’s breast. … I don’t know I guess I put my arm around her. Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologize. The last thing I want to do is to be a distraction to this day. This is all about Aretha Franklin.”
He also took back the Taco Bell remark by telling reporters: “I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and her fans and the whole Hispanic community. 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 addressed the racist and groping controversies.
