'These people are literally killing frogs': America's Taylor Townsend apologises for 'offensive' comments about food in China
American tennis player Taylor Townsend issued an apology after facing criticism for her social media posts about Chinese food while in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals . The world's top-ranked doubles player had posted videos on Instagram expressing shock at traditional Chinese delicacies like frog, turtle, and sea cucumber dishes, which sparked outrage across English and Chinese social media platforms.
Townsend shared videos on Instagram documenting her reaction to dishes served at a restaurant, including braised soft-shell turtle with fish maw and dry pot bullfrog, which are considered traditional delicacies in southern China.
In her initial posts, Townsend expressed disbelief at the food offerings, stating: "This is the craziest thing I've ever seen... Imma have to talk to HR... [eating] turtle and bullfrog is WILD."
She further questioned the dishes in her videos, saying: "These people are literally killing frogs... bullfrogs. Aren't those poisonous? Aren't those the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff? And turtles?... All in all I'd give this like a solid two out of 10 so far, because this is crazy."
Watch: Taylor Townsend's vlog in China
The tennis player also posted additional content featuring herself and teammate Hailey Baptiste making comments about a sea cucumber dish at a buffet.
The posts quickly generated backlash on social media platforms, with users condemning her remarks about Chinese cuisine.
One social media user on X commented: "Won't defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding [that] there are different cultures other than USA."
Another user stated: "It's really offensive to mock other people's cultural food."
The controversy spread to Chinese social media, where the hashtag "American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food" began trending on Weibo.
Chinese social media users expressed their disapproval, with one Weibo comment stating: "When you go overseas, respect the local customs and culture. You can choose not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food."
Following the backlash, Townsend issued an apology in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday. In her apology, she stated: "There's no excuse, there's no words and, for me, I will be better."
She further elaborated: "I understand that I am so privileged as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around the world and experience cultural differences, which is one of the things I love so much about what I do." She added that she had "the most amazing experience" at the tournament.
This incident follows a recent controversy involving Townsend and Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko, where the latter made comments about Townsend having "no class" and "no education."
Ostapenko later apologised for her remarks while denying racist intent, explaining: "But I understand how the words used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court."
Townsend and her USA team are scheduled to compete against Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals on Thursday at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Townsend shared videos on Instagram documenting her reaction to dishes served at a restaurant, including braised soft-shell turtle with fish maw and dry pot bullfrog, which are considered traditional delicacies in southern China.
In her initial posts, Townsend expressed disbelief at the food offerings, stating: "This is the craziest thing I've ever seen... Imma have to talk to HR... [eating] turtle and bullfrog is WILD."
She further questioned the dishes in her videos, saying: "These people are literally killing frogs... bullfrogs. Aren't those poisonous? Aren't those the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff? And turtles?... All in all I'd give this like a solid two out of 10 so far, because this is crazy."
Watch: Taylor Townsend's vlog in China
The tennis player also posted additional content featuring herself and teammate Hailey Baptiste making comments about a sea cucumber dish at a buffet.
The posts quickly generated backlash on social media platforms, with users condemning her remarks about Chinese cuisine.
One social media user on X commented: "Won't defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding [that] there are different cultures other than USA."
Another user stated: "It's really offensive to mock other people's cultural food."
The controversy spread to Chinese social media, where the hashtag "American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food" began trending on Weibo.
Chinese social media users expressed their disapproval, with one Weibo comment stating: "When you go overseas, respect the local customs and culture. You can choose not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food."
Following the backlash, Townsend issued an apology in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday. In her apology, she stated: "There's no excuse, there's no words and, for me, I will be better."
She further elaborated: "I understand that I am so privileged as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around the world and experience cultural differences, which is one of the things I love so much about what I do." She added that she had "the most amazing experience" at the tournament.
This incident follows a recent controversy involving Townsend and Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko, where the latter made comments about Townsend having "no class" and "no education."
Ostapenko later apologised for her remarks while denying racist intent, explaining: "But I understand how the words used could have offended many people beyond the tennis court."
Townsend and her USA team are scheduled to compete against Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals on Thursday at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
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