Michael Buble normally has a way with making people swoon, but that wasn’t the reaction he received after posting an Instagram picture this week and calling attention to an unknowing woman’s backside.
“There was something about this photo Lu took that seemed worthy of Instagram,” the singer captioned the picture, referencing his wife, Luisana Lopilato. He added the hashtags “#myhumps #babygotback #hungryshorts #onlyinmiami #picoftheday #beautifulbum.”
Followers quickly called the Grammy-winner irresponsible and accused him of body-shaming the anonymous woman. Many put it simply by calling him a “creep,” but a few others made their cases a bit more thoughtfully…
“This post is incredibly disrespectful to this woman,” one said. “Her clothing does not dictate her consent and the further commentary on her body is unwarranted.”
“There is a HUGE difference between going out in public dressed a certain way and being shown on a celebrity’s Instagram,” another said. “She consented to the first but (I’m guessing) not to the second… If he didn’t [ask] then it’s furthering the notion that women’s bodies are for public comment and consumption.”
Although many others supported Michael by saying the woman could have no expectation of privacy in a public place and/or by agreeing she does have a “beautiful bum,” Michael apologized for sharing the picture.
“I realize that a photo that was meant to be complimentary and lighthearted has turned into a questionable issue,” he added to the comments section. “It hurts me deeply that anyone would think that I would disrespect women or be insulting to any human being… I regret that there are people out there who found the photo offensive. That was not and is not my intention. Women are to be celebrated, loved, respected, honored and revered. I’ve spent my life believing that and will continue to do so.”
The picture remains up.
