Whoops! Jaime King is on damage control.
The pregnant actress tweeted a semi-apology tonight after being part of a huge Instagram misunderstanding. "Social media may b the downfall of all or the love that connects us. I wish we all spoke the same language & I am sad & sorry when we don't," she wrote less than an hour ago.
So what happened?! Basically, Jaime took to Instagram tonight to write a lengthy and intimate post in response to a girl named Jessica, who incorporated the word "ho" in her comment on King's picture of Fiji water bottles, which was posted to remind pregnant women to stay hydrated (the post has since been deleted).
"I'm sure the people of fiji would like fiji water too but unfortunately they can't have any because some big business decided that they now own the water in fiji," the comment read. "But hey ho, keep paying top dollar for those bottles of water, as long as oppression isn't on your door step, am i right?"
King, who was offended by her choice of words, responded with the following:
Dear Jessica- an open letter to your open assault. Apparently, I am a ho. Oppression is not at my doorstep according to this you. (Ironically, I grew up with my father taking care of the tenements and section 8 housing, collecting quarters out of washing machines and cleaning broken toilets) there are many forms of oppression. Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and beyond. These things are immeasurable as they are relative to ones life experiences. The reason why I am posting this is because I am disgusted by the language and online abuse that people think is a standard way of communicating. Take responsibility for your words. Let's call this instant karma. You don't know how I grew up, we didn't have fancy things and lots of money, you don't know how hard I had to work for everything I have. I applaud everyone that achieved their dreams. I don't degrade them when they are pregnant or not pregnant and putting good things in the world. You are not invisible to me. You do not mean nothing to me just because you are ignorant and rude. I care for you because I care that you are happy and clearly, you aren't. Take a look into your heart when you are ready. And maybe that won't be in this lifetime. But I will not accept that this will be the norm of how we speak to each other. Because I idealistically believe that we can and will have the capability to lift each other up as women. And not use words like HO to address one another. -
Jaime
Clearly, King's powerful words and touching story portray a strong message and were coming from the right place, but it was sparked by something that wasn't what it seemed. The word "ho" was wrongly interpreted in this case.
Apparently, numerous commenters let the star know that "hey ho" is British slang for "oh well": "'Hey ho' is a British phrase to say like 'Ah well' @jaime_king she wasn't calling you a ho," one commenter wrote. "I know it doesn't make her post any less ignorant. Just so you know it wasn't as mean/personal as it probably came across xo."
Facepalm.
So many lessons learned.