Sharon Stone Wasn't Impressed With Bumble's 'Basic Instinct' Quip After Unblocking Her Account
The Bumble location-based social and dating app has apologized after blocking actress Sharon Stone's profile for fear her account was fake.
But when they reinstated her account after verifying her identity, Stone was not amused about their apology.
The actress made famous by the 1992 thriller Basic Instinct expressed she did not appreciate Bumble referencing her character from the movie.
When Stone first discovered she had been blocked by the app, she took to Instagram and Twitter and wrote:
"I went on the @bumble dating sight and they closed my account"
"Some users reported that it couldn't possibly be me!
Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary?"
"Don't shut me out of the hive"
The gaffe was rectified and Bumble offered a swift apology.
However, the manner in which they expressed their regret on Twitter fell flat.
It started with promise.
"Looks like our users thought you were too good to be true."
"We've made sure that you won't be blocked again. We hope that everyone in our community takes a sec to verify their profiles."
They could have stopped there.
But they didn't.
They invoked Stone's Basic Instinct character Catherine Tramellโa serial killer who forever immortalized leg-crossing as something highly erotic.
The role remained controversial for the actress.
"Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct gets a pass today!."
@sharonstone There can only be one ๐ Stone. Looks like our users thought you were too good to be true. Weโve made sโฆ https://t.co/8wu6xtUgEpโ Bumble (@Bumble) 1577708626.0
The reference didn't go over very well with Stone.
She reminded Bumble that she is a woman, not a character.
"Dear Bumble, you are confusing my honesty with your fantasy."
"This is a disservice to the men and women who partake in @bumble. I am Sharon. I am a woman. Thank you.''
@bumble Dear Bumble, you are confusing my honesty with your fantasy. This is a disservice to the men and women whoโฆ https://t.co/HFEe1jMGV0โ Sharon Stone (@Sharon Stone) 1577752849.0
Fans agreed with Stone about the egregious apology.
@bumble @sharonstone Worst answer ever Bumble...โ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ (@๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ) 1577780294.0
@bumble @sharonstone This just wins twitter all aroundd... go Ms. Stone !!๐โคโ Laura-Lee MacRae (@Laura-Lee MacRae) 1577772015.0
@bumble @sharonstone A bit late now , never heard of the website but treating people with respect is a fundamental .โ Brian phelan (@Brian phelan) 1577770073.0
@bumble @sharonstone Bumble, Are you kidding me? That's not how you address your customers. You address her by herโฆ https://t.co/PezOHpKzlCโ Sterling Brown (@Sterling Brown) 1577807466.0
@bumble @sharonstone Not cool, @bumble Sharon Stone is a human, not a character.โ Allison Ramone (@Allison Ramone) 1577947747.0
Some users overlooked all the hubbub and pointed themselves out as available.
@bumble @sharonstone Hello my name Michael very nice to meet youโ Michael Doyle (@Michael Doyle) 1577764798.0
Her dignified response to Bumble earned more admiration from followers.
@sharonstone @bumble Well i love Sharon Stone even more 1. After the original tweet, 2. After this reply and 3. Aftโฆ https://t.co/FIy6F5ed4gโ Sara Beverley Jones (@Sara Beverley Jones) 1577797920.0
@sharonstone @bumble Sharon coming in at the wire with one of the most graceful and poignant corporate burns of the year. Well done ๐๐๐โ Scott Paradis (@Scott Paradis) 1577776611.0
@sharonstone @bumble You could not have replied in a more perfect manner, bravo Sharon. I hope to see you on Bumble.โ Brion Gerard Rouchon (@Brion Gerard Rouchon) 1577760254.0
She tagged her post with a YouTube clip of her speech after being chosen as Woman of the Year at November's GQ Awards, which you can also see here:
GQ Men of the Year 2019 โ "Woman of the Year": Sharon Stone on "Basic Instinct" leg crossyoutu.be
In her acceptance speech, Stone addressed how the scandalous flashing scene we all know from Basic Instinct changed her life forever.
After Billy Porter brought out a chair for her to sit on onstage, she asked the audience to join her in recreating the famous leg-crossing moment from 27 years ago.
She prefaced the demonstration by explaining she consented to removing her panties for the scene at the request of her director who assured her "we won't see anything."
After she had the audience participate, Stone asked:
"Do you feel empowered?"
"Each and every one of you is going to have a moment, like mine. A moment that changes your life. When you might be aware of when it's happening. And one you might not."
"You're going to have it if you haven't already, and you're going to be held accountable for it if you haven't already"
Great speech by Sharon Stone at The GQ Woman of the Year awards Reclaiming her power. https://t.co/PxXoKan29e #laineygossipโ โก๏ธNicola Scottโก๏ธ (@โก๏ธNicola Scottโก๏ธ) 1573250940.0
She continued:
"So the time to decide who you are is now. The time to decide what you do with the tender, important, beautiful, savage, passionate, most important part of yourself."
"What are you gonna do with it? I'll tell you what I did with mine. I respected it. And I would suggest that you all do the same."
"Because we have every right to be powerful in whatever form of sexuality we choose to have. And no one is allowed to take that away from you."
@sharonstone @GQ_Germany Wonderful acceptance speech!!To the point and thought provoking!I might also add it was veโฆ https://t.co/lzmxh3meNAโ Michael Hassell (@Michael Hassell) 1573322783.0
The actress closed her speech by acknowledging her selection as Woman of the Year.
"I want to say thank you for choosing me to be Woman of the Year, because there was a time when all I was was a joke."
You can see Stone in the role that garnered her an Academy Award nomination in the film Casino, available here.
Sharon Stone Is Back On The Dating App Bumble After She Called Them Out For Blocking Her Account
Sharon Stone is out here, sexagenarian (that's an age reference), still stunning, single and trying to live her best life.
But now she has to get past big tech too.
Absolutely no issue though for Stone.
Did you even see Basic Instinct?!
This woman is unstoppable.
Apparently, Stone was booted from the dating app Bumble after several users complained that her profile seemed fake.
And Sharon Stone was NOT having it.
She took to twitter shortly after she was blocked, even posting the very message she received on her Bumble account.
https://t.co/wrsFpTkygpโ Sharon Stone (@Sharon Stone) 1577688486.0
Asking, "Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary?" Stone raises an interesting dilemma.
What if hugely popular movie stars do want to simply mingle on a dating app with normal people, go on shot in the dark dates, and see where it all goes?
Can someone like Sharon Stoneโwho recently became single again, and is LOVING itโpartake in life like the rest of us?
Of course, Bumble unblocked her account within a few hours.
@sharonstone @bumble AHA! @sharonstone, we at @bumble found your account, unblocked you, and ensured this won't hapโฆ https://t.co/xCSTmh2BWYโ Clare O'Connor (@Clare O'Connor) 1577697960.0
But in that approximately 3 hour hang time between blockage and unblock-age, twitter went wild about the whole thing.
@sharonstone @bumble Perhaps you could try walking up to any person in the entire universe and saying โHi, Iโm Sharโฆ https://t.co/UEnrzK0ZV4โ Liddleโ Savage (@Liddleโ Savage) 1577708775.0
@sharonstone @bumble hello sharon if youre ever in buffalo and kinda dig fat guys with mustaches my dms are openโฆ https://t.co/oqN7zb3ONNโ StachesStashes (@StachesStashes) 1577687138.0
@sharonstone @bumble *joins the Twitter queue offering to take you on a date* https://t.co/MJ07F1Oc6Cโ Gregg ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ (@Gregg ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ) 1577691820.0
@sharonstone @bumble Lordt the men on this thread trying to get with Sharon Stone ... https://t.co/vy7S0Coafdโ Welsh G. (@Welsh G.) 1577693552.0
@sharonstone @bumble The good news: Sharon Stoneโs @bumble account restored. The bad news: Bumbleโs servers canโtโฆ https://t.co/GTowurna5Kโ ๐ Kim (@๐ Kim) 1577706099.0
Now we can all rest easy knowing that Sharon Stone *might* find herself a new year's date on Bumble.
Good luck folks!
You're welcome.
In almost entirely unrelated further reading, check out this satire piece that claims Stone is the prime suspect in that Cannes jewel heist case.
And you can get the film that made Stone a household name, Basic Instinct, here.