Kaylah Walton
Ariana Grande is receiving criticism for her controversial comments about the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, which have triggered anger among the families of his victims. Shirley Hughes, the mother of Dahmer’s victim Anthony “Tony” Hughes, strongly condemned Grande, labeling her as “sick in her mind” for mentioning Dahmer as her ideal dinner companion.
Shirley expressed her disapproval to TMZ stating, “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.”
Tony Hughes, a deaf and non-verbal individual, tragically fell victim to Dahmer in 1991, becoming one of the 17 people killed after encountering him at a gay bar. He was only 31 years old when he was drugged and murdered in Dahmer’s residence.
Shirley and Tony’s sister Barbara criticized Grande for her lack of sensitivity. Barbara highlighted the anguish caused to the surviving family members by such comments, stressing that it romanticizes a dreadful character. She urged Grande to offer an apology, suggesting that it could convey a powerful message to her followers that such statements are unacceptable.
“Unfortunately, until it happens to her and her family, she just doesn’t know what we have been through,” Barbara added.
Podcast revelation by Grande sparks controversy
The uproar began following Grande’s appearance on Penn Badgley’s “Podcrushed” podcast earlier this month. Grande disclosed her “fascination with serial killers” from her youth, recalling an instance during a Q&A session with young fans where she named Dahmer as the person she would like to have dinner with.
“I was like, ‘Oh, you’re so cute. Mom and Dad, is it OK if I give the real answer?’ And they were like ‘Sure, what’s the answer?’ and I was like, ‘I mean, Jeffrey Dahmer is pretty fascinating. I think I would have loved to have met him. Y’know, maybe with a third party or someone involved. But I have questions,” Grande recounted.
The remarks made by Grande, considered highly inappropriate by many, have emerged as she reflects on her past engagements in the entertainment sector. During the same podcast, she spoke about her involvement in Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and “Sam & Cat,” indicating that she is revisiting her memories and confronting unsettling elements from the revealing “Quiet on Set” documentary.
“Specifically about our show, I think that was something that we were convinced was the cool thing about us – is that we pushed the envelope with our humor,” Grande mentioned. “And the innuendos were … it was, like, the cool differentiation. And I don’t know, I think it just all happened so quickly, and now looking back on some of the clips, I’m like, ‘Damn, really? Oh, s-t’ … and the things that weren’t approved for the network were snuck onto, like, our website or whatever.”
