Bishop Charles Apologizes to Ariana

Bishop Charles H. Ellis III — the bishop who officiated Aretha Franklin‘s funeral has issue an apology to Ariana Grande after being criticized for touching the singer inappropriately and making a racially insensitive joke.

Ariana performed “Natural Woman” at Aretha’s funeral. Afterwards, Ellis greeted her. Footage from the moment has gone viral, showing Ellis holding the singer above her waist, with his fingers pressing against one side of her chest.

He told Ariana, “I’ve got to apologize … when I saw Ariana Grande on the program I thought that was a new something at taco bell. (laughs) Girl, let me give you all your respect.

Ellis said in a statement, “It would never be 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.”

He continued, “I hug all the female artists and the male artists. 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. The last thing I want to do is to be a distraction to this day. This is all about Aretha Franklin.”

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Ellis also apologized to the singer, her fans and Hispanic community for making a joke about seeing her name on the program and thinking it was a new item on the Taco Bell menu.

Ellis said, “I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to 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.”

Ariana has yet to respond.

ADDITIONAL SOUND

Ariana performs “Natural Woman”:

[‘Cause you make me feel . . . Like a natural woman.”] (:16 OC . . . a natural woman)