Shenzhen: American tennis player Taylor Townsend has issued an apology following backlash over her remarks about Chinese food on social media. The controversy erupted while she was in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, where she shared videos on Instagram commenting on dishes featuring frogs, turtles, and sea cucumber.
According to BBC, Townsend’s comments sparked criticism across both English and Chinese social media platforms. In her videos, she expressed disbelief at the dishes, stating, “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen… Imma have to talk to HR… [eating] turtle and bullfrog is WILD.” The dishes she critiqued are considered traditional delicacies in southern China.
Townsend’s remarks included questioning the safety of consuming bullfrogs and turtles, associating them with poisons and warts. She rated her experience a “solid two out of 10,” deeming it “crazy.” Additionally, she and teammate Hailey Baptiste were seen mocking a sea cucumber dish at a buffet in another video, further fueling the backlash.
Social media users were quick to criticize Townsend for her comments. One user on X remarked, “Won’t defend Taylor here, clearly offensive and shocks a lack of understanding [that] there are different cultures other than USA.” Another user added, “It’s really offensive to mock other people’s cultural food.”
Chinese social media was equally vocal, with the hashtag “American tennis player publicly insults Chinese food” trending on Weibo. A commenter emphasized the importance of respecting local customs and cultures when traveling, stating, “You can choose not to eat it. There is no need to belittle our food.”
This incident follows another controversy involving Townsend less than a month ago, when she had a heated exchange with Latvian rival Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko’s remarks were criticized as lacking class and education, though she later apologized and clarified that her comments were related to tennis etiquette.
As Townsend and her teammates prepare to face Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals on Thursday, the incident serves as a reminder of the sensitivity required when navigating cultural differences.