[Guardian] Ariana Grande has received an apology from the bishop who led Aretha Franklin’s funeral after he was accused of touching her inappropriately while on stage.Bishop Charles Ellis III, who officiated at Franklin’s funeral, awkwardly greeted Grande on stage after she performed (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman. Images showed Ellis’s hand holding Grande well above her waist, with his fingers pressing against one side of her chest.
A video of the greeting has since gone viral, and within hours, the hashtag #RespectAriana was trending worldwide, with many viewers expressing their outrage over the clip.
The preacher later apologised at the cemetery where Franklin was interred on Friday evening and also said sorry for making a joke about her name. Ellis said: "It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast ... I don’t know, I guess I put my arm around her. Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but, again, I apologise."
He said he hugged all the performers during Friday’s eight-hour service.