Patrick J. Adams is typically a social media superstar.
The former Suits star is usually applauded for his sweet and/or funny messages, such as what he wrote to/about Meghan Markle the day before her Royal Wedding to Prince Harry.
This is what he said:
Going to bed now and thinking a lot about the strange surreal and wonderful day my friend Meghan is going to have tomorrow.
Meghan – wherever you are – we are so grateful to be here to watch you both take this monumental step together. Love deeply and live well.
Like we said: totally sweet, right?
(Adams starred for seven seasons on Suits opposite Markle; he played her love interest, Mike Ross, and his character married her character on the latest season finale.)
Now, however, Adams has been forced to issue an apology after an unusual incident that took place while he was in England for his good friend’s nuptials.
It’s a bit confusing, but follow along below…
Over the weekend, following the lovely ceremony and reception, Adams and his his wife, Pretty Little Liars alum Troian Bellisario, headed to the airport to catch a flight out of London.
While there, the actor shared a photo on Instagram of a sleeping woman who he says body shamed him and Bellisario, including with it the following caption:
“She reads her paper. See’s picture of me and Troian from wedding. ‘My God. What a terrible photo of you.’ I look over. ‘Really. I kind of like that photo. What do you think is wrong with it?’
“She pauses. ‘Well, you’re just so….chunky."”
“She laughs and falls asleep. I photograph her sleeping. And….scene. #royalwedding.”
Sort of a weird exchange, but the woman is the one who body-shamed Adams and Bellisario, right?
We suppose Adams could have taken the highest road and simply ignored the insult, or at least not made it public, but we didn’t interpret this caption as an attempt to bully the woman.
Others, however, did.
The USA Network star has therefore deleted the post and issued a lengthy Mea Culpa.
“Yesterday I posted a photo of a woman who did some casual body shaming of my wife and I in the airport,” Adams began his caption, which went along with the following image.
“My intention was solely to put a face to the people who think that sort of glancing commentary is necessary, helpful or funny. Some of the comments on the post instead said I was being a bully and should have taken the ‘high road’ (some also doubled down on the body shaming. Thumbs up guys!)
“I thought it over and agreed and took it down, not because I felt the woman was right or fair or undeserving of being called out but because any sense of being a bully or lashing out felt wrong.”
Adams had A LOT more to say on the topic.
He was understandably upset about the way he was being labeled and felt a need to respond in detail.
So we’ll hand the floor over to the actor…
I’m no bully. What that woman said to us was offensive and unnecessary but I should have told her she was rude and out of line and left it at that. I’m sorry I didn’t.
I was too shocked and annoyed and Canadian – so I avoided the confrontation. Again, I’m sorry. Now if you see the original post on any media outlet just know that they are choosing to take a relatively small indiscretion and make it worse. Not for me.
Because I promise you once I hit post on this message it will be out of my mind forever. But it will make whatever bullying or embarrassment I might have caused for that woman far worse for a far wider audience.
Now -this has obviously taken up far too much of our time and of the precious internet space that we need so much. Sorry about that. But let’s just finish with a quick summary.
1. Don’t talk shit about the way people look. You have no idea what’s going on with them and your commentary will always make their day worse not better.
2. If someone does. Don’t use the internet to settle scores. Tell them right to their face and in public that they’re part of the problem and not the solution.
3. Believe pretty much nothing you read in magazines. Good or bad. The machinery runs on misfortune and oversimplification.
4. Be cool to yourself and others at every opportunity. Life is too short for all of this. Thx for reading. Now back to our lives…
Pretty much the perfect reply, right?
Aside from not understanding this woman’s “chunky” comment (just look at the lovely couple above), we don’t really understand why Adams received grief for his post on the matter.
But he likely made the right choice here to just end the debate and be the bigger man.
Kudos to you, Patrick.