BD Wong issues apology for offensive joke: 'Deeply regretful for the harm I caused'

BD Wong issued an apology on Monday for a racially insensitive joke he had shared and later removed on the social media platform Threads. The remark came in response to a Wrong Answers Only post, a format where users are prompted to give intentionally incorrect or humorous answers.

The original post was made by influencer Mike Holston (@TheRealTarzann on Instagram and Threads), who shared a video of an animal crawling on his neck and back while the Stranger Things theme played, with the caption: Name this animal wrong answers only. Holston, a Black man, is visible in the clip along with the animal. Wongs now-deleted reply reportedly said, It appears to be a Black man.

Wong quickly returned to Threads to apologize for the comment, acknowledging that he had taken the joke too far. He described his response to the prompt as a Super Wrong answer and expressed regret for the incident, which he referred to with the hashtag #wtfbd (What the fk, B.D.).

I made a very bad joke. As often happens when people are in hot water, I deleted it for damage control, but its out there and continues to hurt and disappoint. I am truly sorry for the pain I caused, Wong wrote on Threads Monday. It was a dumb attempt to follow the 'Wrong Answers Only' prompt with the wrongest answer possible. This succeeded only in being Super Wrong. I understand that nobody is entitled to a free pass. I apologize if this #wtfbd moment affected your respect for me, and I appreciate those advocating for a safer internet for everyone.

Wong published two separate apology posts, emphasizing that he was not trying to excuse the offensive joke. Responses from users were mixed, with some accepting the apology and others criticizing it.

In a follow-up post, Wong clarified his responsibility for the offensive comment: I want to elaborate regarding the racist comment I posted, to make clear that I recognize and accept the responsibility for how terrible it was. It is also wrong to try to justify it, as that further erodes trust. I want to focus on acknowledging how wrong it was to exploit a harmful, racist trope under the guise of humor. I do know better, and again, no excuses. I am deeply sorry for the harm I caused and for treating something so injurious lightly.

Author: Sophia Brooks