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Zach Braff Apologizes on Twitter for Comparing Pharrell Williams to a Monkey During Grammys 2015 Performance

Zach Braff and Pharrell
Zach Braff made a controversial joke about Pharrell

Think before you tweet! Zach Braff took to Twitter on Monday, Feb. 9, to issue an apology for a less-than-prudent joke on Twitter. 

The Wish I Was Here star, 39, was live-tweeting the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 8, when he quickly fired off a controversial tweet. Though it has since been deleted, the original message was a comment on Pharrell Williams‘ outfit for his performance of “Happy.”

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In a move that inspired many to make comparisons to the lobby boy in Wes Anderson‘s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Williams, 41, wore a bellhop costume complete with gold buttons and a round hat. Braff, however, took it a step further.

The Scrubs alum shared a photo of Williams next to a shot of his Oz the Great and Powerful character — a cartoon monkey named Finley. “Grammys are time-delayed in LA (?!) but someone just sent me this: #IWoreItBetter,” Braff captioned the comparative photo

oz
Finley, the winged monkey from “Oz” The Great and Powerful”, was voiced by Zach Braff.

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The tweet sparked a swift backlash from many who saw Braff’s parallels between Williams and a monkey as racist. Though the tweet remained online for hours, the actor eventually responded by deleting the post and issuing an apology.

“I love Pharrell,” Braff wrote on Monday. “I thought the outfit he wore was similar to that of my bell hop outfit in Oz. I apologize.” 

Related: PHOTOS: Grammys 2015: Memorable Moments From the Show

Williams himself has yet to comment on the controversy or Braff’s apology. 

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