Bette Midler (Slightly) Walks Back Dig at Melania: ‘I Was Wrong to Make Fun of Her Accent’

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Bette Midler performs onstage during the 91st Annual
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Alana Mastrangelo

Left-wing actress Bette Midler acknowledged on Wednesday that she was “wrong” for making fun of First Lady Melania Trump’s accent during her speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Tuesday. The actress, however, did not apologize for calling the first lady an “illegal alien.”

“Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania ‘still can’t speak English’ last night,” tweeted Bette Midler in reaction to the backlash she faced for claiming that Melania Trump can’t speak English. “I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always.”

“Oh, God. She still can’t speak English,” Midler had posted to Twitter during the first lady’s speech at the RNC.

Midler also took to Twitter on Tuesday to call Melania Trump an “illegal alien,” despite the fact that the first lady is a legal citizen of the United States. “#beBest is back! A UGE bore!” wrote Midler, referring to the first lady’s anti-bullying public awareness campaign, Be Best. “She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!”

Melania Trump wasn’t the only person Midler insulted on Tuesday evening.

The Loose Women actress also asked her 1.9 million Twitter followers, “Where’s [Rand Paul’s] neighbor when we need him?” while senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was delivering his speech at the RNC.

Midler was referring to Paul’s neighbor who assaulted the senator and broke several of his ribs in his Kentucky yard in 2017.

Paul’s neighbor, Rene Boucher, was later sentenced to 30 days in prison for attacking him in a dispute over yard waste. Boucher pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress. Midler has not apologized for her remarks directed toward senator Paul.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler at @alana, and on Instagram.

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