Blake Lively, 36, apologized for being a "Gossip Girl." In a statement shared on her Instagram Story on Friday, she expressed regret over poking fun at Kate Middleton's Photoshop incident before the Princess of Wales, 42, revealed her cancer diagnosis.
"I'm sure no one cares today but I feel like I have to acknowledge this," Lively wrote hours after Kensington Palace released Kate's video announcement revealing her cancer diagnosis. The actress was slammed after she promoted her drinks range on March 13 and took aim at the photo-editing controversy surrounding a family picture of the Princess of Wales and her children, which was released on Mother's Day in the UK.
Sorry, But a Bit Too Late
"I made a silly post around the 'photoshop fails' frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I'm sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always," Lively wrote in her groveling apology.
"I'm so excited to share this new photo I just took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz & @bettybooze products!" Lively captioned the since-deleted Instagram post.
"Now you know why I've been MIA."
Her post referenced Middleton's Mother's Day photo, which was indeed edited, which Middleton shared amid speculation about her whereabouts following her scheduled abdominal surgery in January.
Fans criticized Lively, telling her she should feel ashamed and accusing her of hypocrisy for keeping her own children's names and genders secret while seemingly mocking Kate for desiring privacy.
Lively's original post has since been deleted.
Blake was one of several celebrities who made insensitive remarks about Kate's time away from work. This week, Kim Kardashian used the Middleton controversy in an Instagram caption, jokingly stating that she was "on my way to go find Kate."
From Instagram posts to ill-informed late-night jokes, they raised doubts about whether it was truly the Princess seen with Prince William at a farm shop and humorously compared her to "Weekend at Bernie's."
None of them, except for Lively, have taken back their comments since Kate's sad announcement.
Kate Shows Courage
On Friday, Middleton disclosed that doctors discovered an undisclosed cancer following the procedure. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment," the mother of three revealed, insisting that she is "well and getting stronger every day."
"This of course came as a huge shock, and [Prince] William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family."
"As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK," she continued.
Following the news, King Charles III issued a statement.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told the New York Post that the monarch is "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."
Charles, who is undergoing treatment for his own cancer diagnosis, has "remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks."
Middleton's brother, James Middleton, also spoke out via Instagram. He posted a throwback photo of the siblings and affectionately wrote: "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too."
