#Family ; we tried to stand clear of this one and not jump to conclusion within speculations over this situation. But to be honest, watching the video made us all a tad bit uncomfortable.
Bishop Charles Ellis III is in hot water after displaying inappropriate behavior; followed by a distasteful joke during the “Queen Of Soul “ #ArethaFranklin ‘s Home Going Service in #Atlanta on Friday . After #AriannaGrande ‘s rendition to Franklin‘s ( You Make Me Feel Like ) “ A Natural Woman “ ; Bishop Ellis wanted to show a bit of praise by re-enacting a conversation he had previously with his daughter. Stating that he was unfamiliar with Arianna’s music and when he heard her name thought she was a new item added to the “ Taco Bell “ menu.
All the while poking fun at himself, Bishop Ellis held Grande in one of his arms while his other hand firmly gripped the side of her breast. It was pretty obvious Arianna was uncomfortable, from her facial expressions, posture and nervous laugh. Social media deemed the now viral video as an awkward moment fueled with sexual intent.
According to #Blavity ; Bishop Ellis Forward a lengthy apology to Arianna stating “I hug all the female artists and the male artists,” Ellis said. “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.” In addition “The last thing I want to do is to be a distraction to this day. This is all about Aretha Franklin.”
Ellis also reflected upon the manner of his joke and the disrespect towards the Latin community: “ I personally and sincerely apologize to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community,” Ellis said. “When you’re doing a program for nine hours you try to keep it lively, you try to insert some jokes here and there