Famous Apologies: The Public Apology

Extending a public apology is not very different from delivering a private one—the ingredients of any effective apology remain the same. The only real difference is that some of these apologies can become famous in their own right, or make others infamous for screwing up.

A public apology delivered by celebrities and other well-known figures in the news and popular culture has an uncanny way of reminding us that 'to err' really is human. It really doesn't matter who you are, at some point anyone can find themselves in the doghouse for something they said or did.

This section of the website will explore, comment on, and review some of the best and worst public apologies ever delivered.

In 2006, we were bombarded with one public apology after another that extended from the Vatican, to the United States Senate, to Hollywood and Vine.

Whether these apologies succeeded or failed, a great deal can be learned from them, because they often provide great insight into the art of delivering the perfect apology.

For example, in a review of a public apology delivered by John Kerry we see how not extending a complete apology from the outset can create more damage and hurt than the original offence.

In an article on Political Apologies and American Democracy we learn how a misstatement can sometimes gain momentum of its own and overshadow good intentions.

In a commentary by Peter F. Goolpacy, he asks "Where are the Duke Apologies?" following the debacle of three Duke University lacrosse students falsely accused of rape.

We also learn from Peter why Don Imus' apology for insulting the Rutgers University Women's Basketball team (and the public at large) was doomed to fail. He also writes about The Perfect Terrible Apology: A Case Study David Shuster and MSNBC after Shuster posed an inappropriate (and offensive) question regarding Chelsea Clinton's role in her mother's campaign during an on-air political discussion.

On the flip side of the coin, we take a look at David Neeleman's Jetblue Apology (which, in both its execution and delivery) is as close as one can get to crafting the perfect business apology.

By examining cases of how public figures succeed and/or fail to apologize in the media we can better understand our own chances of being forgiven. And, with the sorry state of public apologies these days, even the media is interested in figuring out what's going on. We were recently approached by a reporter with the Sacramento Bee who had a few questions for us on this very topic.

The fact that people in the public eye have well-paid publicists supported by huge public relations firms makes their apologies so fascinating to witness and study. If these people can't deliver a proper apology (or public apology) then what hope is there for the rest of us?

What we have learned is that even large Public Relations firms can screw up by missing the point and by overlooking the straightforward strategies we've outlined on this site.

For some light-hearted insights into the public apology approaches most commonly used by celebrities and other well known individuals, take a look at this excellent article from the National Post.

Or, take a look at a complete listing of Bill Clinton's apologies following the Monica Lewinsky affair back in the late 90's.

Check back often for new and interesting reviews of famous apologies and learn what they can teach us about apologizing more effectively.

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