Blake Lively Regrets Her “Silly Post” Spoofing Kate Middleton’s Edited Photo

“Where’s Kate?” jokes, memes, and conspiracy theories aged very badly, very fast — just ask Blake Lively. Within a week of sharing a Betty Buzz ad poking fun at the Princess of Wales’ recent photo editing controversy, Lively came to regret the “silly post.” She issued an apology via Instagram stories on March 22, the same day Kate Middleton went public with her cancer diagnosis.

Too Much Buzz

On March 15, Lively shared a since-deleted social media post promoting her Betty Buzz products. It featured some intentionally bad photo editing that many followers suspected was making light of an edited image Kate had shared days before; the digitally altered photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, had fueled internet speculation about her whereabouts following a January abdominal surgery.

In her apology a week later, Lively made it clear she regretted the joke. “I’m sure no one cares today but I feel like I have to acknowledge this,” she began. “I made a silly post around the ‘photoshop fails’ frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I’m sorry.” Keeping it short and sweet, she concluded by “sending love and well wishes to all, always.”

Ad Gone Wrong

Lively’s original post didn’t just include a surreal image. “I’m so excited to share this new photo I just took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz & @bettybooze products! Now you know why I’ve been MIA,” she wrote. Numerous people criticized her for it at the time, including accusing her of “acting like a bully” to a “sick mom.”

Her joke came during a period of rampant online speculation about Kate and her health. Though Buckingham Palace announced two months prior that she was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter” following an abdominal surgery in January, people had questions about her long absence. Those peaked as Mother’s Day rolled around in the UK and it came out that Kensington Palace had shared a digitally altered family picture.

Health Transparency

Amid all the speculation, Kate decided to speak out about her health. Her March 22 video message revealed that her doctors found “cancer had been present” after her abdominal surgery and advised her to “undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy.” She offered reassurance, too, telling the public what she told her children: “I am well, and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits.”

For Kate, those things include the “the love, support, and kindness” she’s received from around the world. Now that more is known about her health, it looks like she’s already getting more positivity and fewer memes.