Current:Home > reviewsAriana Grande calling Jeffrey Dahmer dream dinner guest slammed by victim's mom -FutureWise Finance
Ariana Grande calling Jeffrey Dahmer dream dinner guest slammed by victim's mom
View
Date:2025-04-12 16:13:07
Ariana Grande controversial Jeffrey Dahmer comments are sparking backlash from one of his victim's families.
After Grande appeared on Penn Badgley's "Podcrushed" podcast and told the "Gossip Girl" alum and his co-host that the serial killer and sex offender was her dream dinner guest, victim Anthony "Tony" Hughes' mom Shirley Hughes spoke to TMZ about the controversial comments.
"To me, it seems like she's sick in her mind. It's not fancy or funny to say you would have wanted to do dinner with him. It's also not something you should say to young people, which she says she did," Shirley Hughes told TMZ.
Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 people.These are the victims and what we knew about them
Hughes told TMZ she hoped that Grande understands how hurtful her words were, adding that the pop star's podcast admission made her emotional.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Hughes, who was 31 at the time of his disappearance, was last seen May 24, 1991. He was also deaf, a condition brought on after a battle with pneumonia as an infant. Most of Dahmer's victims were men or boys of color and the youngest of his reported victims were just 14 at the time of their disappearances.
On "Podcrushed," Grande described how she talked about her Dahmer fascination to a group of children.
"It was in between me being Cat (on Nickelodeon comedy 'Sam & Cat') and pop stuff, so it was like a younger group, and they were with parents, and someone said, 'If you could have dinner with anyone living or dead, who would it be?'" Grande recalled.
She continued: "I was like, 'Oh honey, you're so cute' ... They were like, 'Sure, what's the answer?' and I was like, 'I mean, Jeffrey Dahmer is pretty fascinating.'
"The parents were like, 'we'll explain it later, sweetheart,' and I was like, 'I'll just sing 'Problem' and go home,'" the "We Can't Be Friends" singer said, referring to her 2014 pop hit with rapper Iggy Azalea.
Ariana Grande previously made controversial 'I hate Americans' comments
In 2015, Grande made headlines in a video caught by a California donut shop's security camera.
TMZ reported that Grande licked a tray of donuts alongside ex-boyfriend, backup dancer Ricky Alvarez, and kissed on camera. Then, after an employee brought out a tray of fresh donuts, Grande said: "What the (expletive) is that? I hate Americans. I hate America."
"I am EXTREMELY proud to be an American and I've always made it clear that I love my country," said Grande in a statement sent to USA TODAY at the time. "What I said in a private moment with my friend, who was buying the donuts, was taken out of context and I am sorry for not using more discretion with my choice of words."
Contributing: Andrea Mandell
veryGood! (167)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- RHONY's Jessel Taank Claps Back at Costars for Criticizing Her Sex Life
- Massachusetts governor warns state’s shelter system is nearing capacity with recent migrant families
- A hotel worker's 3-hour commute tells the story of LA's housing crisis and her strike
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Jewish people around the world grieve and pray for peace in first Shabbat services since Hamas attack
- Adidas, Ivy Park have released the final installment of their collaboration. What to know
- Water runs out at UN shelters in Gaza. Medics fear for patients as Israeli ground offensive looms
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Suspended Miami city commissioner pleads not guilty to money laundering and other charges
Ranking
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Teacher killed in France knife attack as country on high alert over Israel-Hamas war
- In Hamas’ horrific killings, Israeli trauma over the Holocaust resurfaces
- France player who laughed during minute’s silence for war victims apologizes for ‘nervous laugh’
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Answers About Old Gas Sites Repurposed as Injection Wells for Fracking’s Toxic Wastewater May Never Be Fully Unearthed
- Suspended Miami city commissioner pleads not guilty to money laundering and other charges
- What is direct indexing? How you can use it to avoid taxes like the super-rich
Recommendation
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Putin’s visit to Beijing underscores China’s economic and diplomatic support for Russia
The $22 Earpad Covers That Saved Me From Sweaty, Smelly Headphones While Working Out
Former MSU football coach Mel Tucker uses toxic tactic to defend himself
Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
After her partner's death, Lila Downs records 'La Sánchez,' her most personal album
Advocates say excited delirium provides cover for police violence. They want it banned
Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval Still Doesn't Understand Why His Affair Was Such a Big Deal