American Tennis Player Taylor Townsend Apologizes for ‘Offensive’ Comments on Chinese Food
US professional star Taylor Townsend has issued an apology after receiving widespread backlash for comments she shared on digital platforms regarding local Asian cuisine.
The 29-year-old, who is currently in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, had earlier shared videos on social media in which she commented to meals including bullfrogs, soft-shell turtles, and sea cucumber.
She referred to the food as “the craziest thing” she had ever seen, adding, “I need to talk to HR… consuming turtle and bullfrog is WILD.”
Her comments quickly attracted significant reactions on both English and Chinese online communities.
Ms Townsend, who is the number one doubles player, later apologized, stating, “I take full responsibility, words cannot justify it and, on my part, I will be better.”
“I understand that I am extremely fortunate as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around the world and experience cultural differences, which is among the reasons I appreciate so much about my career,” she said in a clip posted to Instagram.
Townsend continued that she had “an incredible experience” at the competition.
Earlier, she had shared her thoughts to meals such as turtle stew and spicy frog dish, which are considered traditional specialties in Chinese culture, especially in the southern part of the country.
In her original post, she asked, “Aren’t those toxic? Are these the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff?”
She also shared another clip in which she and teammate Hailey Baptiste were seen joking about a sea cucumber offered at a buffet.
Social media commenters were swift to react. One user on a social platform stated, “Won’t defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and reveals a lack of understanding that there are diverse customs other than America.”
Another added, “It’s really offensive to ridicule other people’s cultural food.”
On local social media, the topic “US athlete publicly insults Chinese food” began trending.
One social media user stated, “When you go overseas, appreciate the local customs and heritage. You can opt not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food.”
This incident comes less than a few weeks after Townsend was engaged in a heated exchange with Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko, who had previously directed comments about Townsend’s behavior on the court.
The player and her team are set to face Kazakhstan in the next round on the upcoming match day.
