Too late now to say sorry? Lara Spencer apologized on Friday, August 23, one day after making comments on Good Morning America about Prince George taking ballet and laughing, causing viewers to call her a “bully” on social media.
“My sincere apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop news yesterday,” she wrote on Instagram with a photo of mountains. “From ballet to anything one wants to explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your mountain-and love every minute of it.”
During the “Pop News” segment on Thursday, August 22, Spencer explained the 6-year-old’s curriculum and interest in dance. “The future King of England will be putting down the Play-Doh to take on religious studies, computer programming, poetry and ballet, among other things,” the coanchor, 50, said while holding back laughter and pausing for reaction from the audience. “Prince William says Prince George absolutely loves ballet. I have news for you, Prince William: We’ll see how long that lasts. I mean, he might! He might end up … Between the religious studies and the computer programming, I just want to go back to the Play-Doh!”
Travis Wall, a professional dancer and choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance, posted an Instagram video on Friday, August 23, responding to Spencer’s comments.
“Lara, the next time you want to laugh at a child for taking a dance class or laugh at them at all, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you want to be a bully today,” the 31-year-old said in the video. He also captioned the video, “I have a message for you. Wake up. It’s 2019. Get with the program. Please share and repost this so a boy who needs to see this feels supported if he dances or wants to! #boysdancetoo #ballet #goodmorningamerica #traviswall #laraspencer #bully.”
Other viewers took to Twitter on Thursday and Friday with similar responses. “She is just an ignorant, uneducated bully who chose to mock a 6 year old child,” one user wrote. “A young boy taking ballet is not a joke, GMA and Lara Spencer are! #boysdancetoo.”
Another shared a photo of her son dancing and wrote, “So proud of my son and the years of hard work and dedication he put into his craft. No thanks to ballet bullies like Lara Spencer,” with a photo of her son dancing.
