TORONTO — Actor-singer Drake Bell has apologized for a tweet in which he said he will refer to Caitlyn Jenner by her former male name.
“I sincerely apologize for my thoughtless insensitive remarks,” Bell tweeted Thursday. “I in no way meant to hurt or demean those going through a similar journey.”
Shortly after Monday’s release of the Vanity Fair cover marking the debut of Caitlyn Jenner, Bell tweeted: “Sorry… still calling you Bruce.”
The comment sparked a flurry of criticism on social media.
The 28-year-old Drake & Josh star later deleted the tweet and tried to explain. “I’m not dissing him! I just don’t want to forget his legacy! He is the greatest athlete of all time! Chill out!”
Criticized again — this time for using male pronouns — Bell deleted the follow-up tweets, too.
READ MORE: How to refer to Caitlyn Jenner
On Thursday, he told his 3.2 million Twitter followers: “Although my comments were made in innocence, I deeply regret the negative effect they’ve had on so many.”
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