US Sports Star Taylor Townsend Expresses Regret for ‘Offensive’ Remarks on Chinese Cuisine
US professional star Taylor Townsend has released an statement of regret after facing significant criticism for remarks she made on social media regarding traditional Asian cuisine.
The 29-year-old, who is presently in the Chinese city of Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, had earlier shared clips on social media in which she reacted to meals including frogs, turtles, and marine delicacies.
She described the food as “the craziest thing” she had encountered, stating, “I need to talk to HR… consuming turtle and bullfrog is WILD.”
Her comments quickly attracted significant responses on both international and local social media platforms.
Ms Townsend, who is the number one tennis professional in doubles, later expressed remorse, stating, “There’s no excuse, there’s no words and, on my part, I aim to be better.”
“I realize that I am extremely fortunate as a professional athlete to be able to travel all around the world and experience diverse traditions, which is one of the things I appreciate so much about my career,” she shared in a clip uploaded to her social media.
Townsend continued that she had “the most amazing experience” at the competition.
Prior to that, she had shared her thoughts to dishes such as turtle stew and spicy frog dish, which are considered traditional specialties in China, especially in the southern part of the country.
In her original post, she asked, “Aren’t those toxic? Are these the ones that be giving you warts and boils and stuff?”
She also posted another clip in which she and fellow player Hailey Baptiste were seen joking about a marine dish offered at a buffet.
Social media users were swift to react. One user on a social platform wrote, “Cannot support Taylor here, obviously offensive and shocks a lack of understanding regarding the fact there are different cultures other than America.”
Another added, “It’s really offensive to mock other people’s cultural food.”
On local social media, the topic “US athlete disparages Chinese food” started gaining traction.
One social media user commented, “While traveling overseas, respect the traditions and culture. You can opt not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food.”
This situation comes less than a month after Townsend was engaged in a heated confrontation with opponent Jelena Ostapenko, who had previously made comments about Townsend’s conduct on the court.
The player and her team are scheduled to compete against Kazakhstan in the next round on Thursday.