Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesDrake Bell has learned his lesson.
After Caitlyn Jenner made her debut on the cover of Vanity Fair Monday, Drake, a former Nickelodeon star, tweeted, "Sorry…still calling you Bruce." He deleted the transphobic remark 40 minutes later and later added, "That's bravery." Still, the Internet wasn't too kind, and on Thursday, Drake made amends.
"I sincerely apologize for my thoughtless insensitive remarks. I in no way meant to hurt or demean those going through a similar journey," Drake tweeted. "Although my comments were made in innocence, I deeply regret the negative effect they've had on so many." After Twitter user @delvneymorr called out Drake for an apparent typo, writing, "ignorance* not innocence," he tweeted back, "yes. Very ignorant."
In Vanity Fair, Caitlyn acknowledged that her transition might confuse some people. After contributing editor Buzz Bissinger apologized for using the wrong pronoun, Caitlyn said she's not too sensitive about the issue. "I don't really get hung up. A guy came in the other day and I was fully dressed—it's just habit, I said, 'Hi, Bruce here,' and I went, 'Oh, f--k, it ain't Bruce!'" Caitlyn recalled. "I was screwing up doing it."
(With the release of her Vanity Fair cover, Caitlyn has chosen to publicly identify as a woman and E! News will refer to her using female pronouns. In stories published prior to this date, Caitlyn was referred to as Bruce and male pronouns were used.)
After Caitlyn reintroduced herself to the world, GLAAD issued new guidelines to clear up such questions. "Do use female pronouns (she, her, hers) when referring to Caitlyn Caitlyn," the organization advised. "Do avoid male pronouns and Caitlyn's prior name, even when referring to events in her past. For example, 'Prior to her transition, Caitlyn Caitlyn won the gold medal in the men's decathlon at the Summer Olympics held in Montreal in 1976.'"
See Caitlyn in her docu-series, I Am Cait, debuting July 26 at 9 p.m. on E!