Howie Mandel shared a video apology to Kelly Ripa after his 'Live' talk show appearance
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NEED TO KNOW
- Several comedians and friends shared reactions to Howie Mandel’s apology to Kelly Ripa
- Michael Gelman, executive producer of ‘Live with Kelly and Mark,’ shared a comment of his own under Mandel’s March 28 Instagram video
- As Mandel put it after his March 23 appearance on ‘Live,’ sometimes “things don’t land the way you mean them to land”
Howie Mandel's apology to Kelly Ripa is getting feedback from those close with the TV personality.
On Saturday, March 28, Mandel shared a video on Instagram and apologized about refusing to accept a compliment from Ripa about his appearance during a recent episode of Live with Kelly and Mark.
In his video, he said sometimes "things don't land the way you mean them to land" as a comedian.
During the March 23 episode of the show, Mandel, 70, claimed that telling someone his age that they “look great” doesn’t “mean anything,” as it comes with the “caveat” that they merely look good for their age.
After Mandel's public apology days later, a few comedian friends sounded off about the ordeal, with Live with Kelly and Mark executive producer Michael Gelman also offering a cheeky response.
"During these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great … for your age," Gelman commented under Mandel's video.
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Others who shared responses to Mandel's apology included Terry Crews, Tom Bergeron and Stephen Baldwin. "I’m sorry you look so good," Crews commented.
"That was the smoothest pivot to self-love I’ve ever seen…apart from my own morning conversations to my mirror," Bergeron wrote.
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During the initial exchange on the March 23 episode of Live, Ripa, 55, attempted to clarify her comments, insisting that she and husband/co-host Mark Consuelos only meant to compliment the comedian. She said they were saying he "looks great" and they "don’t believe you’re 70."
In his Instagram apology, Mandel said he was "debating for 48 hours whether I should make this post or not" and that it's "hard" for him to apologize over a joke.
“But this is for Kelly Ripa, who, in the past, has been incredibly supportive. Not only have I been a guest on her show, but I have co-hosted with her, and I've known her for years. … When I go out there, I just try to be entertaining and funny, and sometimes, as a comedian, things don't land the way you mean them to land,” Mandel said.
He added, “I don't know how to say this, but not only do I want to say I'm sorry to Kelly, but — and this is the hardest part — you’re right. You're absolutely right. And I'm sorry I didn't see it that way."
At the end of his message, Mandel told fans that after "a lot of thought and self-reflection, I do look great for my age."
"I look fantastic, and I just have to embrace the fact that I look this good,” he said.
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