Entertainment
Chrissy Teigen & John Legend's Super Bowl Ad Was Edited After Kobe Bryant's Death
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's Super Bowl ad is as witty and on-brand as you'd hope from the adorable power couple. But due to a recent tragedy, it's going to look a little different than what fans initially saw when it dropped online. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's Super Bowl commercial was altered in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter crash on Sunday, Jan. 26.
Genesis, a line of luxury vehicles under the Hyundai brand, made a last-minute decision to remove a helicopter that was shown in the beginning of the commercial after the legendary Lakers player's death, as the company confirmed on Thursday, Jan. 30. "Today we re-cut our Super Bowl ad, to remove a stationary helicopter that was in the opening two seconds of the commercial,” a Genesis spokesperson told USA Today in a statement. “The ad had been filmed, produced and delivered well before Sunday’s tragedy, so we took down the spot out of compassion and sensitivity to the families.”
According to the outlet, the helicopter only made a brief appearance in the foreground of the commercial. But, given the collective mourning of fans and the families of the victims, it seems like cutting out the shot was a good call. And, on the bright side, the edit only gives Teigen and Legend more room to shine.
In the commerical, set to air on Super Bowl Sunday, the two unveil Genesis' new "Young Luxury" sports cars at a party filled with... very old luxury. After Teigen makes a toast — with more than a few jabs at the party guests — she attempts to introduce the luxury car. But Legend botches the moment by pulling up late, and before he lets her in, he requests a password. "Sexiest. Man. Alive," Teigen responds with gritted teeth, before they drive off into the night. This is probably how life runs at the Teigen-Legend household, right?
Teigen and Legend have not commented on the edits, but it's likely they would agree with the company's decision. On the day of Bryant's death, Legend paid tribute to him during a performance at the Grammys that also honored late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Before the show, he also took to Twitter to remember the late basketball player.
"Life can be so brutal and senseless sometimes," he wrote. "Hold on to your loved ones. We miss you, Kobe."