Lara Spencer Apologized to Prince George After Making Fun of His Passion for Ballet

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During a segment on Good Morning America, a joke from co-host Lara Spencer fell flat and incited the ire of Twitter and professional dancers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, while she was reporting on Prince George's new school schedule, she implied that little boys don't really grow up enjoying things like ballet. The clapbacks came quickly and Spencer eventually apologized, but not before she was met with comments from famous faces from the stage and screen.

"He looks so happy about the ballet class. Prince William says George absolutely loves ballet. I have news for you, Prince William: We'll see how long that lasts," Spencer said during the original segment on GMA. In the background, the audience could hear the show's co-hosts — including George Stephanopoulos — laughing as Spencer rattled off Prince George's upcoming curriculum of religious studies, computer programming, poetry, and ballet.

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After viewers posted the clip to Twitter and criticized Spencer for implying that boys shouldn't enjoy dancing. Notable commenters included Rosie O'Donnell and dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen, who shared a video saying, "Darling, you’re not on Saturday Night Live. You’re a respected media journalist. We expect to get our news, information and ideas from you. So, poking fun at the dance world, ballet and young boys, this is just not cool. Look at the great contributors to the world and society — men that have studied dance. Steve Jobs, hello. Bob Fosse, Christopher Walken, Dustin Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Norman Nixon, Herschel [Walker]. It's a long, long list. So, you owe not just the royal family but the dance world an apology for poking fun at something that we are very sensitive about because we don’t have enough money, enough opportunity in the arts for young people. We’d get more Steve Jobs if we had more ballet, less bullying."

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Several news outlets, including Broadway World and Dance Magazine, echoed Allen's sentiments and demanded an apology. Spencer did apologize. During her statement, she revealed that she had danced growing up.

"My deepest apologies for an insensitive comment I made during pop news on Thursday," Spencer posted Friday on her Instagram Story. "From ballet, which I took as a kid, to anything in life you wish to explore, I fully believe we should all pursue our passion. Go climb your mountain — and love every minute of it."

THR explains that Prinve George's dance classes follow the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus and he's learning the basics of ballet with a pianist providing musical accompaniment. Prince William, who first mentioned George's love of ballet back in October 2018, also noted that Princess Diana also loved to dance and that he's letting his kids do whatever they love.

"If it's something you love, you do what you love and it's very important, don't let anyone tell you otherwise," William said last year. "You keep at it."