Image Source: vagueonthehow, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What was the accusation?
Actor Neil Patrick Harris faced renewed criticism in May 2022 after a photograph resurfaced from a Halloween party that he and his husband, David Burtka, hosted in 2011. The party took place only a few months after British singer Amy Winehouse died at age 27 from alcohol poisoning. The photograph showed a graphic meat platter fashioned to resemble a mutilated corpse and accompanied by a label identifying it as “The Corpse of Amy Winehouse.” The display reportedly consisted of beef ribs, pulled pork, chicken sausage, and spicy barbecue sauce, and incorporated visual details associated with Winehouse, including her distinctive beehive hairstyle.
The image had originally been posted to Twitter by party guest Justin Mikita and was deleted, but screenshots remained online. When the photograph circulated widely again more than a decade later, critics condemned the display as a cruel joke about a recently deceased person and argued that its timing made the gag especially insensitive. Coverage of the renewed controversy emphasized that Winehouse had died only months before the party and that her struggles with alcohol and substance use had been intensely publicized during her life.
On May 16, 2022, Harris responded in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly. He acknowledged that the photograph came from the Halloween party he and Burtka had hosted, called the display regrettable both at the time and in retrospect, praised Winehouse as an exceptional talent, and apologized for the hurt caused by the image. The statement was brief and did not include a longer explanation of how the platter was conceived or why it had been included at the party.
Key Apologia Strategies
Mortification, Bolstering
Video
N/A
Transcript
Neil Patrick Harris statement to Entertainment Weekly (May 16, 2022):
“A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago. It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I’m sorry for any hurt this image caused.”
