Gospel musician Celestine Donkor has issued an apology following backlash over comments she made during an interview on TV3’s “Today’s Women.”
During the interview, Donkor and host Cookie Tee engaged in a seemingly lighthearted conversation about the perceived heaviness of Ewe names and expressed a preference for marrying people with ‘lighter’ names.
The banter, between the duo who are both Ewes, drew criticism from viewers and social media users, who found the comments inappropriate and offensive.
In response to the backlash, Celestine Donkor posted on Instagram, clarifying that the comments were made in jest and were not intended to mock Ewes or their culture. Despite her intentions, the gospel singer expressed regret for making those comments upon reflection, acknowledging that “it turned out to be a bad joke, an expensive joke.”
“Who am I? I’m just human. Most of the time we go on these interviews, as much as we have a pure heart and a clear mind, it’s not everything we say that we’re pleasing to somebody, and so we take it,” she added.
Celestine Donkor emphasized that this incident does not diminish her pride in her Ewe culture. She believes that the Ewe language is special and spiritual, and she remains steadfast in her appreciation for it.
“I have proven it over the years in my journey in music that I am a very, very proud Ewe,” adding that her daughters all carry names from the culture.
Despite the controversy, Celestine Donkor expressed gratitude for the feedback received, interpreting it as an expression of love from her audience.
“With love and respect to all of you, I take all the comments in good faith,” she stated.