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SYTYCD's Nigel Lythgoe to GLAAD: "I Regret Poor Word Choices"
Mathew Imaging/Getty Images
For So You Think You Can Dance judge Nigel Lythgoe, there is no dancing around the issue.
After defending his allegedly homophobic remarks via Twitter on Friday, Lythgoe has officially issued an apology at the urging of gay rights group GLAAD.
"I sincerely regret the fact that I have upset people with the poor word choices and comments I made both during the taping of the So You Think You Can Dance audition and on my personal status update," said Lythgoe. "I am not homophobic and it was extremely upsetting for me to be classed as such."
The "I'm sorry" comes as the result of comments made by the judge during an audition by same-sex dance partners Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel, as well as his continuing justification of his actions online the following day...
On Thursday's premiere, Lythgoe critiqued the duo's samba, saying "We've always had the guys dance together on the show, but they've never really done it in each other's arms before. I'd like to see you both dancing with a girl."
As if GLAAD wasn't already up in arms, Lythgoe then tweeted about the controversy, comparing the dancers to two separate films. "The same-sex ballroom guys did remind me of Blades of Glory. However, I'm not a fan of Brokeback ballroom."
In Saturday's apology, Lythgoe both explained his actions and took responsibility for the repercussions. The executive producer stated, "I believe the sexual orientation of an auditioner or contestant is irrelevant. The fact that I have unintentionally upset people is distressing to me and it is obvious I have made mistakes that I must learn from. I trust that my humor will be more sensitive and mindful moving forward."
A happy ending seems imminent for all, as seen in GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano's reaction to the apology.
"We certainly appreciate the dialogue and the opportunity for Nigel to help further educate people about how words and images matter," said Giuliano. "His sincere words are appreciated."
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