Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE

With all of the racial tension in the country, hypersensitivity is more prevalent than it has been in recent memory. When those two are combined, people have to be more careful with what they say, post, and, in this case, tweet, as Ellen DeGeneres learned the hard way this afternoon when she tweeted a controversial photo of herself and Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt.

With everyone still marveling at Bolt’s history-making performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, it was only natural that endless memes were created showcasing just how ridiculously fast he is on the track.

Well, Ellen DeGeneres wanted to get on the fun, too, and she did so by tweeting a photoshopped picture of herself on Bolt’s back, with the caption saying, “This is how I’m running errands from now on.”

… Let’s just say many did not find the humor in her tweet.

Almost immediately, the photo was deemed racist, with many detractors comparing the photo to the old slave master and slave image of Black men being superhuman and used for sport during slavery.

For her part, the TV host quickly responded to the backlash by tweeting, “I am highly aware of the racism that exists in our country. It is the furthest thing from who I am.”

However, all of social media wasn’t out to bash her for the tweet, as some simply saw it as a harmless attempt to be funny while commenting on Bolt’s out-of-this-world speed.

You can check out Ellen’s initial tweet and her follow-up tweet in response to the backlash below:

Tell us what you think. Do you think the comedian’s tweet crossed the line or was it all in good fun? Let us know in the comments below!

Check out today’s Top Stories here:

Boko Haram Releases New Video With Kidnapped Nigerian Girls

AM BUZZ: Bishop Eddie Long Shows Off Massive Weight Loss; Mariah Carey Poses In Racy Billboard & More…

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.