Barbra Streisand faced backlash Tuesday after a comment intended for actress Melissa McCarthy was publicly posted on Instagram.
The 82-year-old singing and acting legend commented on a photo of McCarthy dressed in a mint green dress at a gala, asking if she had taken Ozempic, a medication popularly discussed in celebrity circles for weight loss.
“Give him my regards did you take Ozempic,” the singer commented. Streisand quickly deleted the comment she may have thought was private, but not before it was captured in screenshots and spread on social media.
Omg…this comment from Barbra Streisand.
Yes, it’s real, but she’s deleted it. pic.twitter.com/icINE1XqI4
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 30, 2024
OMG. I love Barbra. That’s something my aunt would say. No filters.
— Shelley G (@ShelleyGldschmt) April 30, 2024
The online community also responded with jokes about the incident.
Omg somebody please teach Barbra Streisand how to send a DM pic.twitter.com/js6gqdMLUv
— Robert Komaniecki (@Komaniecki_R) April 30, 2024
Barbra Streisand receives Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for her groundbreaking, fearless work on Instagram
— Chris Murphy (@christress) April 30, 2024
In response to the backlash, Streisand clarified her intentions on X, explaining that her comment was meant as a compliment following a recent collaboration with McCarthy on her “Encore” album. (RELATED: Billie Eilish Covered Melissa McCarthy’s Mouth, Aggressively Autographed Her Face)
“OMG I went on Instagram to see the photos we’d posted of the beautiful flowers I’d received for my birthday,” the singer wrote. “Below them was a photo of a friend Melissa McCarthy, who I sang with on my Encore album. She looked fantastic! I just wanted to pay her a compliment. I forgot the world is reading.”