Bette Midler apologises for Melania Trump tweets after fierce backlash

The actress launched an attack on the First Lady during her Republican National Convention speech
Emma Clarke28 August 2020

Bette Midler has issued an apology after facing fierce backlash over her comments about Melania Trump's accent.

During the First Lady's speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention on Tuesday evening, the actress launched into a furious Twitter tirade referring to Melania as an "illegal alien" who "still can't speak English."

Following widespread criticism for her comments, Midler, 74, has now backtracked and apologised for her comments, writing on the social media platform: "Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania “still can’t speak English” last night.

"I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always."

She then went on to post several follow-up Tweets, first quoting Laura Nyro's song Time and Love, then asking Donald Trump whether or not he would take out a full page spread condemning the teen accused of shooting Kenosha protesters, as he did during the infamous Central Park Five case in 1989.

Midler then concluded by saying: "You’ll have to survive the #RNC without me tonight. Sorry! Talk amongst yourselves."

It comes after the Hocus Pocus star took aim at Melania's Slovenian roots, mocking her accent, before criticising the First Lady's recent White House rose garden renovations.

During Ms Trump's speech, Midler wrote: "A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!"

She then added: "Oh, God. She still can’t speak English," and "You are one lucky Slovenian! And after all that surgery, you hit a kind of horrible jackpot, chained to [a] colossal idiot."

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