Blake Lively didn’t mean any harm in her Betty Buzz ad that seemingly poked fun of Princess Kate Middleton’s photoshopping skills ahead of her cancer diagnosis.
“I’m sure no one cares today, but I feel like I have to acknowledge this,” Lively, 36, wrote in an Instagram Story on Friday, March 22. “I made a silly post around the ‘photoshop fails’ frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I’m sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always.”
To promote her Betty Buzz company’s line of new mocktails, Lively posted a since-deleted photo of herself via Instagram on Friday, March 15. The clearly edited picture showed the actress, whose head was pasted on the body of an older woman, lounging poolside while holding a can of Betty Booze.
She captioned the post, “I’m so excited to share this new photo I just took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz & @bettybooze products. Now you know why I’ve been MIA.”
Lively’s followers thought it was a clear reference to Kate’s recent photo editing controversy. Kate’s whereabouts remained a mystery following her abdominal surgery in January until she finally broke her silence to honor U.K.’s Mother’s Day on March 10.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate wrote at the time alongside a photo of her and Prince William’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
Hours after the image was shared, it was reported that several international news agencies refused to distribute the photo, claiming “the source has manipulated the image.”
One day later, Kate shared that she indeed did alter the image.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” read an X post shared via the official Prince and Princess of Wales account on Monday, March 11. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
After much speculation about Kate’s location and state of health, Kate revealed on Friday, March 22, that she had quietly been battling cancer.
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“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she shared in a video on Friday. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”
Kate noted that the news was a “huge shock” to her and her family and her and William, 41, have “been doing everything” they can to “process and manage this privately” for the sake of them and their children.
“We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment,” she shared. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I’m able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
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