InstagramToday it was Man vs. Internet...and we know who usually wins that battle.
Adam Richman, who recently made a splash by posing nude to show off his 70-pound weight loss, came under instant fire this week for engaging his critics in an increasingly virulent Twitter exchange, at one point dropping a C-bomb and telling one person to "grab a razor blade & draw a bath."
And though he tweeted to @thefattestfox, "oh eat a bag of s--t, dummy. No apology is coming," the Man vs. Food host has since reconsidered.
"I want to apologize for my inexcusable remarks," Richman said Friday in a statement exclusively obtained by E! News. "My behavior was unbecoming and unacceptable. I've long struggled with my body image and have worked very hard to achieve a healthy weight. Instead of responding to comments with compassion, I lashed out in anger.
"I'm not asking for sympathy," he added, "but rather understanding and forgiveness. I can say with certainty that I'm taking a deep look at myself and I'm incredibly sorry to everyone I've hurt."
According to Mediaite (and thanks to the site for screengrabbing the tweets quoted here), the dust-up apparently all began with Richman posting a selfie on Instagram with the caption, "Had ordered this suit from a Saville Row tailor over a year ago. Think I'm gonna need to take it in a little.... #Victory #EyesOnThePrize #AnythingIsPossible #fitness #transformation #thinspiration."
Amber of the blog Adipose Activist, which is billed as "One Fat Girl's Battle Against Size Discrimination," took Richman to task for the seemingly innocuous remarks immediately, writing that she's "never liked Adam" and that in general "what another person chooses to do with their body isn't any of my business." But...
She also wrote about his Instagram post: "Just seems like another boring self-congratulatory weight loss photo...until we get to the last tag. Thinspiration? Oh really? Now for those of you not hip to the lingo, thinspiration is very popular in pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia circles, generally consisting of pictures of emaciated bodies, mantras like ‘what's more important, that slice of pizza or a thigh gap?' and suggestions, tips, and motivation to either starve or purge."
This got pickup, and then things got nasty, with Richman reportedly tweeting, "DILLIGAF" (do I look like I give a f--k) at one person who piled on and then he supposedly also called one of them the C-word at one point.
In a tweet to @vociferoustart, he wrote, "So go on, be vindictive, email my responses. Because that's what good people do right? Give me a f--king break. If anyone acts like a c--t I'll call them one. It's not misogyny, it's calling a spade a spade."
An initial video apology posted to Instagram and a tweeted mea culpa (captured by Mediaite) were later deleted.
All of the initial nastiness has been scraped clean from Richman's Twitter and Instagram accounts, but there was still some lingering commentary yesterday left on a photo that was seemingly posted as an olive branch.
Some still had it out for Richman and wanted to teach him a lesson, and some were quite supportive.
There was, from purrfectly_polished: "Your comments were incredibly inappropriate and as a grown ass man, you should have been able to reply as such. Celebrity or not, there is no excuse to use the word "cunt" when dealing with people, let alone telling them to kill themselves. Quite honestly Sir, your comments were disgusting, childish, and completely out of line. I hope you apologize to the girls, and I hope after some thought you realize what you've done wrong and feel ashamed of yourself. The hashtag was an honest mistake. Your careless comments speak volumes about your anger."
And right above that there was, from lark654: "Enough already, leave @adamrichman alone! He is one of life's good guys, we all have bad days, he is human after all! He is allowed to defend himself as we all are! Still waiting on your response to my marriage proposal Adam, it's ok it's a big decision, I understand you need to take your time #haha #you #rock #loyal#fans :)) X"