What's with Bishop Charles Ellis groping Ariana during the funeral service?

[pnwmom]

Last edited Sat Sep 1, 2018, 11:14 PM - Edit history (6)

No, this isn't a hug, and it isn't an accident. He repeatedly sneaks his fingers along the side and gropes her breast.

On TV. At a funeral. In front of millions.

ON UPDATE: Would he have stood there and "hugged" a male singer ? If not, why not? Why is it okay to grab any person he doesn't know and hold her this way? Why do some men think it's okay to grab women they don't know? (He grabbed her first -- she put her hand on his back in response. If you're being "hugged" like this and leave your closer arm straight, it gets trapped between your two bodies. It feels more comfortable to put your arm on the other person's back.)

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

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#RespectAriana is now trending worldwide after Bishop Charles H. Ellis III was spotted inappropriately groping Ariana Grande at Aretha Franklin’s funeral earlier today.

[nolabear]

1. He has apologized. Said he had no intention of it. I believe him.

He was officiating a funeral in front of millions. No sane person would cop a feel at that time. He also apologized for the Taco Bell crack, and I accept that too. If we try to destroy everyone who makes a mistake we cannot teach anyone.

[pnwmom]

3. It's good he apologized. But did you watch the whole thing?

How could he say he did it unintentionally, over and over? It wasn't just a stray "brush" of his hand on her breast. His fingers were squeezing her.

[nolabear]

4. I did. And it never crossed my mind. People dissociate when nervous.

She certainly didn’t seem to feel groped.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. " She certainly didn't seem to feel groped."

WTF? Did you see her face?

[pnwmom]

8. How could you tell how she felt? Women often laugh when they're put in awkward positions.

To me, it looked like she was leaning away from him, and he responded by pulling her closer.

[nolabear]

22. How could you?

I don’t know either of them and I absolutely respect that there are often problems. But I cannot imagine that man is fool enough to deliberately gripe a young woman at a religious service while on camera in front of millions of people. He apologized and I accept it until I hear he’s got a history of such things.

We just disagree on this one.

[Afromania]

12. That look she gave him sure seemed like it.

[True Dough]

32. The way she pulled away from him

certainly gave me the feeling that she was trying to communicate that she was uncomfortable.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. JFC that was no mistake.

[joshcryer]

20. Habits are hard to break.

[TheBlackAdder]

29. If there was no intention, he would have immediately retracted his hand. He was going for it.

[pnwmom]

30. Right. He would have realized that he was feeling something soft, not her rib cage

or her back. And he would have jerked his hand away and not done it again.

[eShirl]

33. I don't!

He's not stupid and neither am I.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

2. Yea that's copping a feel

Eww

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. A patriarch in a patriarchal institution abusing someone? You don't say.

[pnwmom]

9. Do you know what denomination he's in? They're not all the same. n/t

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Pentacostal.

[MineralMan]

15. Well, apparently, Aretha Franklin grew up in a highly-sexualized

environment within her church. She got pregnant and gave birth to her first child at age 12. From all accounts, she was surrounded by people who celebrated their sexuality as much as they worshiped.

That's according to a biography of her life. I don't know, personally.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. "Celebrated their sexuality" is a pretty shitty way to describe predatory acts.

[MineralMan]

21. I was being sarcastic.

Euphemistically sarcastic. No 12 year old girl should be giving birth to a child. So, yes, someone got a child pregnant. The official story is that it was a 14 year old boy, but that is questioned by some. I have no idea.

[CTyankee]

31. I thought it was incest. But I could have heard it wrong.

Does anyone here know?

[Quixote1818]

10. Doesn't look intentional to me. It's also behind her breast on the ribs his fingers are touching.

It's possible he intended to do it but with all the cameras pointed right at the two of them I seriously doubt he realized how that appeared.

[jcgoldie]

13. Hmm

He obviously didn't realize how it appeared... on the other hand I'm pretty sure he realized how it felt.

[pnwmom]

14. No, if you watch the whole thing, his fingers are moving around.

They aren't always "behind" the breast. They're creeping along the side of her breast.

He might have not realized how it appeared -- or how it would have felt to her. But he knew he wasn't just feeling her ribs.

[Quixote1818]

28. You could be right. It's something to think about. Are you aware that Joe Biden has done

this type of thing on a regular basis? I used to brush it off because I thought the editing made it look worse than it was but maybe I have been too easy on Joe? Your post is thought provoking.

[eShirl]

34. If that's her ribs he's groping, they're seriously dislocated. n/t

[mshasta]

16. He is intentionally touching

She was trying to pull back and at same time stay there and take it. Sick

[sarisataka]

17. I'm curious about the term inappropriate,

What would have been 'appropriately groping Ariana Grande at Aretha Franklin’s funeral '?

On the other hand, did you see how she was dressed??

[joshcryer]

19. When I was a kid the pastors were always over touching.

The boys would be like "wtf" when the pastors would touch them way too comfortably, and they did it to the girls, too. Openly. Without regard. I think they were overly feely on the boys because it allowed them to pass it off as how they "were" with people. But you could tell the girls were not comfortable with it and they actively avoided the pastors.

Glad this guy is being called out on it and that people noticed.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

23. I can't say one way or another.

Seems to me like as he talked he just kept re-hug/handling her as he shifted around. W respect, AG looks to be about 5 foot tall and the guy putting his arm around her it was inevitable that thats probably where his hand was going to land. She's tiny. Best thing to do...don't throw your hands/arms around people. that said, when we are broken to pieces a hug from people helps, and leaders in churches are called on to hug and hold people often. I know i have appreciated that in times of sorrow in the past. However it shakes out, the best thing is...don't get too friendly-handsy, ever.

[John Fante]

24. Has Ariana commented on this?

I won't go so far as to say he intentionally tried to grope her breast, but it was definitely inappropriate and he was right to apologize. Was he hugging and holding the men like this? I doubt it.

[pnwmom]

25. "Was he hugging and holding the men like this?" Great reply! n/t

[Tree-Hugger]

26. She was asking for it

Did you see the dress she was wearing? He couldn't help it. You know women should not bare legs, shoulders, or cleavage in church. Otherwise, it'll cause our brothers in Christ to fall from grace. She should have dressed more elegant and classy. Pearls were positively clutched over that dress yesterday on Freeperville....oh, actually it was right here on DU. When you dress a certain way, things happen......

Based on posts I saw here yesterday, I clearly need to add


ETA: I have had this happen to me on more than one occasion (including by an extremely religious Christian guy who loves to talk about how women should be modest). Maybe my past experience clouds this....or maybe it clarifies it.....but this seems quite intentional to me.

[FreeState]

27. He's a disgusting creep

No person should have to put up with this. Grown men know better than touching women’s breast period.

[jalan48]

35. Kinda Pervy. nt

[Iggo]

36. You mean Ariana Grande?

Yeah that was some patriarchal bullshit right there.

[tblue37]

37. She is very short. I think he meant to hug her waist, but with the height difference

his hand ended up too high.

Heh. I can't believe I wasted my 29,000th post on this.

[pnwmom]

38. If you watch the video, you can see him moving his hand around. This wasn't a "brush"

as he claimed. If he meant to hug her waist, he should have realized right away he wasn't gripping her waist. And when she leaned away from him, he should have let her go.

[Quixote1818]

40. I have given this some thought today. I can't say what his intentions were

If no one had pointed that out I doubt most people would have even noticed. However, I think the bigger point is that people and men in general need to keep their hands off of strangers period. She doesn't look comfortable. I think it's a valid point that he probably wasn't touching any men like that. I work in the school systems and we teach kids NOT to touch other kids unless they are given permission. I think society needs to start holding adults to the same standards we hold children to. That being said, I think it is inconclusive that he had bad intentions and he did apologize. If he is a good person who's hand was inadvertently ending up in a bad position because of his height, it would be a shame to make things too miserable for him. However, I hope this is a lesson for him that he should really just keep his hands to himself unless he really knows someone and knows they are 100% good with his touching them.

[pnwmom]

41. I agree. People in general need to learn this. It wouldn't be okay for an employer

to grab an employee like this, right? Most of us have figured that out. So it's not okay for a minister to grab a singer at a funeral either.

[Iggo]

39. LOL...my 5,000th or 10,000th was a picture of the kind of sunglasses I wear.

I had my eye on the counter for most of the final ten posts, then I lost my focus.

Thanks a lot, The Lounge.