Mandy Moore Shades Ex-Husband Ryan Adams’ Public Apology After Abuse Claims

This Is Us star Mandy Moore weighed in on her ex-husband Ryan Adams‘ apology on the Today Show Monday, wondering why he would make a public apology before a private one. More than a year ago, Moore accused Adams of harassment and emotional abuse during their marriage, which lasted from 2009 to 2015. Adams also faced allegations of being manipulative and controlling by several women in a February 2019 New York Times report.

While appearing on Today to discuss her new album Silver Landings, Hoda Kotb reluctantly asked Moore about Adams’ apology, which the Daily Mail published on Friday. “It’s challenging because in many ways I feel like I’ve said all I want to say about him and that situation, but I find it curious that someone would make a public apology but not do it privately,” Moore said. “I am speaking for myself, but I have not heard from him and I’m not looking for an apology necessary, but I do find it curious that someone would do an interview about it without actually making amends privately.”

Moore and six other women accused Adams of harassment and emotional abuse in February 2019. The seven women told the New York Times he often used career opportunities in the music business as a way to control and exploit them. One woman said Adams began contacting her when she was 13 and said Adams exposed himself during phone sex on Skype. Moore accused Adams of stifling her career, as she never released any full-length albums during their marriage. “He would always tell me, ‘You’re not a real musician, because you don’t play an instrument,’” Moore told the Times.

Adams denied the allegations in the report, calling it “upsettingly inaccurate” and claimed some details were “misrepresented,” “exaggerated” and “outright false.” In his new Daily Mail essay though, Adams apologized and insisted it was not the “same empty bulls— apology” he has used before. “There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career,” Adams wrote. “All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple.”

“This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life,” the musician continued. “I’ve gotten past the point where I would be apologizing just for the sake of being let off the hook and I know full well that any apology from me probably won’t be accepted by those I’ve hurt. I get that and I also understand that there’s no going back.” Adams had planned to release three albums in 2019, but they were all canceled after the New York Times report was published.

After the notice Moore’s Today Show interview received, the Golden Globe nominee tried to divert attention to other issues, like getting justice for Bronna Taylor. “And can we also just move on from giving space to this nonsense and empty, performative acts of contrition and focus on real news? Like #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor,” she tweeted.