Ariana Grande declined to file a complaint after a touching incident involving a bishop at Aretha Franklin’s funeral, Detroit Police said Friday. The pop star…
Ariana Grande declined to file a complaint after a touching incident involving a bishop at Aretha Franklin’s funeral, Detroit Police said Friday.
The pop star’s representatives said she regarded the breast contact as accidental and wanted to move on, police told the Detroit Free Press.
Detroit Police reached out to Grande’s camp after the Aug. 31 funeral, prompted by phone calls and online posts claiming “inappropriate contact” by Bishop Charles Ellis III during the service.
“We received some phone calls from citizens and saw (social media posts) that there may have been some kind of inappropriate contact at Aretha Franklin’s funeral between Bishop Ellis and Ariana Grande,” Detroit Police Capt. Jevon Johnson told the Free Press. “We reached out to her representatives. They said she completely took it as an accident and was ready to move on.
“Based on what her representatives stated, we do not have an open investigation.”
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Ellis had wrapped his arm around Grande, touching her breast, following the pop star’s performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” during the funeral at Greater Grace Temple,
The incident caused an uproar among many people watching the service and went viral on social media, including a much-retweeted post by late-night comic Trevor Noah captioned, “What was up with that pastors hand?” Others have defended the bishop, saying the touch appeared unintentional.
Grande’s publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening.
Ellis apologized after the funeral, speaking to the Associated Press at the cemetery where Franklin was interred.
“It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast…. I don’t know, I guess I put my arm around her,” Ellis said. “Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologize.”
Reached Friday evening, Greater Grace spokeswoman Kenya Hildreth responded that Ellis said “he made a statement that evening and has put the matter behind him.”
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.
