American Tennis Star Taylor Townsend Apologizes After Mocking Chinese Cuisine Online
Tennis star Taylor Townsend has apologized after sparking backlash over videos she posted mocking traditional Chinese dishes during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen. Townsend, who called dishes like turtle, bullfrog, and sea cucumber "crazy" and joked she'd "have to talk to HR," was quickly criticized across both English and Chinese social media for being culturally insensitive.
In a follow-up video on Instagram, the world No. 1 doubles player said she was "sincerely sorry from the bottom of my heart," adding, "There's no excuse, there's no words and, for me, I will be better." She acknowledged how privileged she is to travel and experience global cultures and said her comments didn’t reflect the kindness she'd received in China.
The apology comes just weeks after a separate on-court confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko led to Townsend being called out for lacking “class” — comments Ostapenko later clarified weren’t racially motivated. Townsend is set to compete next against Kazakhstan in the tournament quarterfinals.
