Neil Patrick Harris Issues Apology for Platter Mocking Amy Winehouse Following Her Death

Neil Patrick Harris has issued a statement in regards to a resurfaced image from a party he hosted, which featured a buffet platter created in the likeness of Amy Winehouse’s corpse.

Harris’ party took place in 2011, just a few months after Winehouse died on July 23 of that year due to alcohol poisoning. According to Variety, the singer’s fake corpse featured a cigarette in its mouth with a placard that read, “The Corpse of Amy Winehouse.” There was also another note that showed what was on the platter, including beef ribs, pulled pork, and chicken sausage.

“A photo recently resurfaced from a Halloween-themed party my husband and I hosted 11 years ago,” Harris told Entertainment Weekly. “It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I’m sorry for any hurt this image caused.”

Justin Mikita, actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s husband, initially shared the image on Twitter, though it was later deleted. The photo made its way back to people’s attention when writer Ashley Reese took to Twitter, writing, “I cannot believe how many very online people over the age of 25 are just now finding out about Neil Patrick Harris’s disgusting Amy Winehouse cake,” according to Variety.

Winehouse died at the age of 27 after winning five Grammy Awards in 2008 for her sophomore album Back to Black. Later, in 2015, the documentary Amy—which chronicled her career and substance abuse issues—won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.