Lady Gaga has walked back comments she made following news of model and actor Rick Genest's death last week. Genest, whose heavily tattooed torso lead to his Zombie Boy nickname, starred opposite Gaga in her 2011 "Born This Way" video.
The pop star was among the first to pay tribute to Genest online, tweeting that the news was "beyond devastating" and suggesting that he had ended his own life. However, those tweets have now been deleted and an apology issued after friends of the actor stated that they believe his death, from a balcony fall, was accidental.
Out of respect for Rick's family, Rick & his legacy I apologize if I spoke too soon as there was no witnesses or evidence to support any conclusion for the cause of his death. I in no way meant to draw an unjust conclusion My deepest condolences to his entire family and friends. pic.twitter.com/CJ9AdOJ22j
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 4, 2018
“Out of respect for Rick’s family, Rick & his legacy I apologize if I spoke too soon as there was no witnesses or evidence to support any conclusion for the cause of his death,” Gaga tweeted on August 5. “I in no way meant to draw an unjust conclusion My deepest condolences to his entire family and friends.”
The Quebec coroner’s office has not officially released a cause of death for Genest at the time of writing. His manager, Karim Leduc, told People that he believes the death was accidental.
