Former talk-show host Rosie O'Donnell apologised Monday (Feb 21) to actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas after wrongly assuming the White Tiger star's father was author Deepak Chopra.
In a TikTok video shared over the holiday weekend, O'Donnell admitted to humiliating her son, his girlfriend and fellow comedian Fran Drescher by initiating what she later called an "awkward" encounter with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her husband, singer-actor Nick Jonas.
While dining at Nobu, an upscale sushi restaurant in Malibu, O'Donnell introduced herself to the celebrity couple, who were seated next to the comic's party.
"I always assumed (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) was Deepak Chopra's daughter," O'Donnell said in the TikTok clip.
"So when I said, 'Hi, Nick Jonas. You were great in Kingdom. And hi, I know your dad,' she goes, 'You do? Who's my dad?' I'm like, 'Deepak.' She's like, 'No, and Chopra is a common name.'"
An "embarrassed" O'Donnell then turned to her 1.9 million TikTok followers for support, asking if she was the only one who thought "Nick Jonas was married to Deepak Chopra's daughter." Throughout the video, O'Donnell never acknowledged Chopra Jonas' first name – only Nick Jonas' and Deepak Chopra's.
The prolific Bollywood and Hollywood performer's father, Ashok Chopra, was a doctor in the Indian army and died of cancer in 2013.
"I had one job... and I messed it up," she continued. "So Nick Jonas, I apologise. And to the Chopra wife, I apologise too."
In the TikTok comment section, many slammed O'Donnell for disrespecting Chopra Jonas further in the clip by referring to the renowned Quantico and Bajirao Mastani star as "someone Chopra" and "the Chopra wife".
Others said they also mistakenly believed Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Deepak Chopra were related, and some even accused the actor of reacting rudely to O'Donnell's blunder.
The next day, O'Donnell posted another TikTok defending Chopra Jonas and owning up to her ignorance regarding the entertainer's vast body of work.
"People thought that (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) was rude – she wasn't rude," O'Donnell said in the follow-up clip. "It was just awkward, you know? I mean, I'm sure she gets sick of that. I'm sure I'm not the only one....
"But she's apparently a very well-known actress and more famous than (Nick Jonas), people were saying, so I'm sure it felt weird to her to begin with. Anyway, Priyanka is her name. Priyanka. I hope I'm pronouncing that right."
Before signing off, O'Donnell apologised to Chopra Jonas once more for good measure. She also shared a screenshot of the Matrix Resurrections cast member's Instagram account, which boasts 74.5 million followers, to underscore how oblivious she was to Chopra Jonas' considerable fame.
"I just want to apologise to her and to everyone who thought that it was really inappropriate of me," O'Donnell said. "Sorry. Sometimes I (expletive) up. I did at Nobu."
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas, who recently welcomed their first child via surrogate, have not responded publicly to O'Donnell's apology. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
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