ApologifySuvendu Adhikari Leads; Doug Eddings Strikes Out
Suvendu Adhikari shows the value of naming the offense, though concrete correction is still missing. Doug Eddings lands last with an on-field apology offering no documented repair.
Every week we read the public apologies so you don’t have to, and score each one on what it admits, explains and repairs. These are the 7 that mattered between Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2026. Disagree? Give your own score under each one.
Suvendu Adhikari
Names the eleven-handed depiction and warns officials, but offers no concrete correction to the advertisement.
“I apologise for the wrong government advertisement depicting Maa Durga with 11 hands instead of 10.”
A West Bengal government newspaper advertisement depicted Goddess Durga with eleven hands rather than ten. Suvendu Adhikari apologised for the incorrect depiction, said officials had been warned and promised greater care in future.
Your score
Doug Eddings
The on-field apology offers no documented repair; Eddings separately attributed the cap dispute to a batter.
Doug Eddings approached Cardinals rookie Hancel Rincon on the field to apologize after telling him to straighten his cap during his MLB debut. The exchange followed MLB's reprimand; the evidence does not provide Eddings' apology wording, and his separate explanation attributed the intervention to a batter's complaint.
Your score
Also this week
Adidas
Apologizes for offense but distances headquarters from local posters and offers no checkable changes.
“It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected”
Adidas apologized after a Single Shoe service promotion featuring an Israeli military amputee prompted criticism and boycott calls. The company described the image as a local initiative, denied intending offense, and promised to listen and learn without specifying corrective action.
Your score
Sam Altman
Offers daily usage resets, but calls subscriber lockouts a messy rollout and gives no access deadline.
“First, sorry for the messy rollout”
Paying subscribers were left waiting for GPT-6 Astra while selected enterprise customers received access. Altman apologized for the rollout without committing to an access date; OpenAI offered paying users one banked usage reset for each day they waited.
Your score
VeryDarkMan
Acknowledges unfair generalisation about security personnel, but offers no repair after police pressure.
“But by passing that speech, like I said, it seems like I was generalising and it’s not fair to the fallen soldiers”
VeryDarkMan apologised after referring to security personnel as “unknown gunmen” at the Nigerian Bar Association conference. He acknowledged unfairly generalising about personnel risking their lives, but offered no concrete repair or prevention steps. The apology followed a police invitation to substantiate his allegations.
Your score
Gamescom
Acknowledges developers’ losses and promises a roundtable, but describes victim-blaming only as a tone problem.
“Our first response did not strike the right tone, and it did not show the people affected the empathy they deserved. We are sorry.”
Gamescom initially responded to developers’ stolen equipment by emphasizing exhibitors’ responsibility for security and insurance. Six days later, after backlash, organizers apologized for their lack of empathy and announced a roundtable with indie exhibitors to develop security measures.
Your score
Louise Upston
Upston names wrongful suspensions and beneficiaries were repaid, but avoids saying who caused them.
“Some benefits have been wrongly suspended. What we don't know at this stage is how many.”
Benefit payments were wrongly suspended after processing delays following a change in eligibility-review requirements. Upston apologised in Parliament, described the situation as extremely unsatisfactory and promised details after an MSD report; the ministry said affected people had been paid back.
Your score
That’s the week. If someone in your own life is owed an apology, take the lesson from the top scores: name what you did, own it, and offer to make it right.
Write yours on ApologifyApology News, every Tuesday.
The week’s public apologies, scored. Free, five minutes.