'Drag Race' Alum Gia Gunn Apologizes for Calling Coronavirus a 'Hoax'

Late last month, drag legend Gia Gunn received a ton of online backlash after a video of her calling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic a "hoax" made its rounds on the internet. (Yes, the video is as cringe-y and disappointing as it sounds...)

During an Instagram Live, the Season 6 and All Stars 4 alum was complaining about having to wear face masks in public and echoed a lot of far-right sentiments and conspiracies surrounding the coronavirus, saying "I honestly think this whole COVID-19 thing is a hoax. I think everybody who is, you know, taking precautions is cute and it’s definitely the thing to do, but I also think a lot of people are brainwashed."

After fierce and rightful criticism from many fans and viewers from all over the world, Gia is now taking to YouTube to issue a formal apology for her words.

"I realized that this was completely wrong of me and very insensitive, especially to the families and people who have experienced tremendous amounts of loss and/or struggle due to this terrible virus," Gia said apologizing. For real-life context, COVID-19 has taken hundreds of thousands of lives just in the United States alone, and the worldwide death toll is estimated to be in upwards of 500,000+ deaths at the time of writing.

"This virus has not gone anywhere," Gia said. "It’s up to us to look out for one another and stop the spread of this terrible, terrible virus."

She continued:

"I’ve taken this weekend and some time to sit with the consequences of my actions but most importantly to think and to wrap my head around this whole thing, but most importantly share with you guys what I have learned. As my parents always told me, it’s okay to make mistakes, just as long as you walk away having learned something."

Watch Gia's full apology video below...