Last week, Gretchen Barretto along her two friends, Patty Pineda and Mimi Que, went on Instagram live to read messages from their followers who were asking for aid through their online charity project. At some point during the live stream, Barretto and friends started reading a request from Jo-Ann Mula, upon which the three began laughing hysterically for its incoherent flow and grammar.
While the video has since been taken down from the socialite’s Instagram, it had already made the rounds online and garnered even more attention thanks to a few individuals who saved the content and published it on other social media platforms. Needless to say, the video went viral and sparked a lot of outrage online. Barretto and friends have since become the target of criticism.
On Jun. 9, three days after the video was posted, Barretto attempted to resolve the matter and issued an apology the best way she knows how: through Instagram live.
The video is 30 minutes long and there’s a lot going on—the actual discussion of the issue doesn’t even begin until four minutes in. Understandably, not everyone has the time, patience, or mental perseverance to watch the entire thing, so here is a little dissection of her apology. Feel free to use these tips if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Do it on social media.
If you were caught doing something mean, using social media as your platform for an apology is a quick and easy way to clear your name.
Make it impromptu.
Planning how to go about your apology makes it less authentic. An extemporaneous apology over a dinner with friends means everything is coming from the heart. And maybe a bottle of wine.
Make your apology video in a public place.
Perhaps you lead a busy life and don’t have enough time to sit down in a quiet place to film your apology. That’s totally fine. Do it wherever you are right now. Plus points for choosing a nice location, like a restaurant at the Resorts World Manila.
Digress into other topics.
An apology is also the perfect time to talk about, as Barretto puts it, a “flawed relationship” (in reference to her being the mistress of Tonyboy Cojuangco).
Emphasize that you’ve already been forgiven.
If the butt of your jokes is laughing with you, your conscience is clear and you’re absolved of any wrongdoing.
If you did watch her apology, what are your thoughts? Do you think Gretchen was able to explain herself well or do you think she missed the point altogether? Let us know in the comments.
Images from @gretchenbarretto on Instagram.
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