Sherri Shepherd made her regrets known Tuesday as she apologized for perceived anti-gay comments she made during a recent interview on the Fusion network.
During her interview with “Alicia Mendez Tonight” (on the Fusion Network), Shepherd was asked about her thoughts on homosexuality.
“You grow up being a Christian and you have grown up believing homosexuality is a sin, you’re going to hell if you’re a homosexual,” “The View” co-host told Mendez. “This is something that I grew up believing. I always tell people, ‘I may not agree with your lifestyle, but I love you. You may not agree with my lifestyle, but you love me.’”
Realizing her comments could be misinterpreted; Shepherd took a minute on “The View” to apologize to viewers who may have been offended by the Fusion interview.
“Working on a talk show that’s centered in the opinion business, there’s been several things that I’ve shared in the press that have upset people, and typically I don’t respond to the criticism,” Shepherd said on“The View.” “However, I’d like to say I’m truly sorry to anyone I’ve offended with the viewpoints I expressed on Alicia Menendez Tonight on the Fusion network.”
“My interview was misrepresented, and only a portion of my comments were used as a headline to give the impression that I was condemning members of the LGBT community living in their own truth,” she continued. “In the interview, I express I was raised as a child to have a certain set of beliefs, but my beliefs have evolved significantly as my own personal relationship with Christ has increased.”
“The View” co-host’s comments came after voicing what she felt was people’s biggest misconception of her.
“I think people don’t know my heart. I think they feel I’m very judgmental. I think people feel I’m very homophobic. If they knew me and knew my heart … If you come to me respectfully and ask me about my beliefs, I’ll talk to you about anything,” Shepherd expressed to Mendez. As the interview progressed, Shepherd touched on whether being gay is a choice made by the individual.
“Some people say it’s a choice. I don’t say it’s a choice. If you tell me, ‘Sherri, I was born gay.’ OK. I’m not gonna argue with you, because I can’t tell you how you feel and what’s going on inside,” she stated. “I’m trying to make it to heaven by the skin of my teeth … So if you tell me you’re born [gay], I’m not gonna argue with you. And I absolutely respect you for that. I just ask that people respect how I feel and respect how you feel and we can have a great dialogue. And then afterwards, lets go get a drink.”
