Plus: Noma chef resigns over alleged abuse in IG post; opera companies take advantage of Timothée Chalamet’s negative comments.
Grammarly has apologized and shut down an AI feature after it sparked backlash and a class-action lawsuit from at least one journalist who says the tool used her identity without permission.
The feature, called “Expert Review,” allowed users to upload writing and receive editing advice styled after well-known journalists, academics and authors, Wired reports.
The problem is that the people being imitated say they never agreed to be part of the product.
One of them is investigative journalist Julia Angwin, who is now suing the company. She claims Grammarly used real writers’ names and reputations to make its AI feedback appear more authoritative, even though the comments were generated by AI.
After criticism spread, Grammarly shut the feature down.
CEO Shishir Mehrotra acknowledged the backlash and said the company should have handled the rollout differently.
He shared on LinkedIn:
“Over the past week, we received valid critical feedback from experts who are concerned that the agent misrepresented their voices. This kind of scrutiny improves our products, and we take it seriously. As context, the agent was designed to help users discover influential perspectives and scholarship relevant to their work, while also providing meaningful ways for experts to build deeper relationships with their fans. We hear the feedback and recognize we fell short on this. I want to apologize and acknowledge that we’ll rethink our approach going forward.”
Why it matters: That the company would acknowledge a misstep during litigation is a rare occurrence.
While Mehrotra does try to explain the original intent, he is clear about where Grammarly went wrong and owns the mistake, leaning into feedback as an important part of that process.
He was also clear that Grammarly has disabled the tool while they rethink their next steps. This shows stakeholders they’re taking the issue seriously.
But there’s still a credibility issue. The apology came only after the backlash, which means it’ll be harder to rebuild trust if Grammarly is perceived as being careless or unethical. Intent doesn’t matter if the perception is negative.
To those affected, the tool looked like a company monetizing their credibility without asking first, which is a trust problem that likely won’t be solved with a single LinkedIn post. The proof is in the pudding, so they’ll need to clearly explain how things will be handled differently moving forward – and since they’ve already admitted this was a mistake, they’ll likely pay for it in court, too.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- Rene Redzepi, the celebrity chef behind the Copenhagen restaurant Noma, recently apologized and stepped down after a report alleged years of abuse toward staff. The AP reports accounts from 35 former employees, many describing a culture where Redzepi yelled at, humiliated and sometimes physically harmed workers over mistakes. Some said he punched staff, pushed them into walls or jabbed them with kitchen tools. As the story spread, sponsors pulled support from a planned Noma pop-up in Los Angeles and protests followed, prompting Redzepi to resign from both the restaurant and his nonprofit. In a video and written apology on Instagram, Redzepi acknowledged wrongdoing, writing, “An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.” He also said he could see “enough of my past behavior reflected” in the allegations to recognize that his actions “were harmful.” The response shows both an attempt to repair damage and the limits of an apology. He accepted responsibility and stepped down, but the severity of the accusations and the fact that accountability came after a public investigation makes reputation repair much harder. Yes, he addressed employees directly. The bigger lesson is that workplace culture can eventually become a reputational issue. Once allegations reach this scale, an apology is only the starting point. Stakeholders will expect proof that the culture and leadership have actually changed moving forward.
- Actor Timothée Chalamet recently insinuated that “no one cares about” the opera anymore during a public town hall. His comments went viral online, drawing backlash from the arts community. But opera companies turned the moment into a fun marketing opportunity instead. Institutions across the U.S. and Europe jumped into the conversation with memes, videos and ticket promotions, using the moment to drive attention and remind audiences that people very much do care about opera. reports that The Seattle Opera posted on Instagram, offering discounted tickets to its production of “Carmen” using the promo code “TIMOTHEE,” and jokingly invited the actor to use the code himself. The post took off, generating more than 125,000 likes and thousands of shares. It inspired other opera companies to create their own Chalamet-themed promotions and content. This is a moment where leaning into internet culture works well. By reacting quickly with humor, this became a celebration of the arts and actually gave more visibility and engagement to the companies using Chalamet’s negative comments as a catalyst. When the internet creates a moment around your industry, even a negative one, reacting creatively can turn criticism into promotion.
- It’s a sad day for BuzzFeed. During its latest earnings call, the media outlet shared that there’s “substantial doubt” it can keep operating. The company said it might not have enough cash to cover its expenses over the next year. CNN reports that at the end of 2025, BuzzFeed had about $8.5 million in cash but reported a $57.3 million loss for the year, and its stock dropped roughly 98% since going public in 2021. The news comes after the outlet shut down BuzzFeed News in 2023 and has struggled to regain momentum. As has been the trend, shrinking newsrooms pose a threat to brands looking for ways to share their stories and reach new audiences. Now’s the time to diversify storytelling methods and get creative. Brands need to be more strategic in how they build relationships with journalists and media platforms, understanding that fewer reporters now cover more beats, which means less opportunities for earned media or influence.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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