After all the brouhaha, the selfie will stay secret.
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who actually snapped the photo of herself with British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Obama during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, said the picture at the heart of the controversy will not be released to the public.
The New York Daily News reported that the reason she’s keeping the shot hidden from view has nothing to do with the backlash it’s caused, but rather its poor quality.
Mrs. Thorning-Schmidt ignited an international controversy with the shot, which some called inappropriate for such a somber occasion. Others, meanwhile, noted first lady Michelle Obama’s seemingly disapproving reaction to the selfie. As the three world leaders smiled broadly and leaned in tight for a close crop, Mrs. Obama was captured by a far-off photographer sitting ramrod straight, a stern look on her face.
Mrs. Thorning-Schmidt said the shot was all in fun and the mood of the ceremony was actually “festive,” according to the New York Daily News. The 46-year-old leader called the worldwide reaction to the photo “funny.”
Mr. Obama hasn’t commented on the picture, but the White House did issue a statement to the press, decrying the attention to the incident as “a shame.”
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The administration received fire from several fronts for the incident, including a opinion piece in the New York Post characterizing the the president as “a hormone-ravaged frat boy on a road trip to a strip bar.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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