Samantha Ko found herself having to apologise after sparking netizens’ anger over her statement regarding Lionel Messi’s inability to play in a recent friendly match in Hong Kong.
As reported on Sohu, the actress earlier was asked about the issue regarding Messi’s injury that hindered him from joining the game, to which she said that she could understand and forgive him in regard to this matter.
The comment had since sparked heated discussions among mainland netizens, especially those who forked out a hefty sum of money just to go to Hong Kong to see him play. Some claimed that as a Hong Kong celebrity, Samantha has the means to watch the game without suffering much loss.
In response to the backlash, the actress took to Weibo to apologise, saying that when she responded to the question, she only had watched the team coach’s response at the post-match press conference.
“If you have seen the complete interview clip, what I actually want to say is: I was very involved in watching the match that day, because the Hong Kong team played very well and had a strong offensive in the first half. As a fan, I enjoyed watching it. But many fans who came from afar will definitely still feel disappointed and sad when faced with the situation that day.”
“Like everyone else, I was shocked to learn more about what happened afterwards. I am fully aware that the remarks I made at that time were very inappropriate when I only had a partial understanding of the situation. I would like to apologise to all the friends who have paid attention to this matter. I am really sorry!”
(Photo Source: Samantha Ko Instagam)