Helicopter Cut from John Legend and Chrissy Teigen Super Bowl Commercial After Kobe Bryant Death
A Super Bowl commercial starring Chrissy Teigen and John Legend was re-edited to exclude a helicopter out of respect for Kobe Bryant, who died alongside his daughter and seven other victims during a helicopter crash.
Hyundai’s luxury vehicle brand, Genesis, announced they made some last-minute edits to the ad so that it no longer features the helicopter that originally appeared in the opening scene as Teigen and Legend entered a fancy party. The commercial is meant to promote Genesis' new GV80 SUV as the face of "young luxury."
"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. “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."
You can check out the Genesis Super Bowl commercial, below:
The spot will air during the Super Bowl LIV this Sunday, February 2 on FOX. Click here to find out everything you need to know about the big game, including Halftime Show performers and more.
Following the tragic accident, both Teigen and Legend shared heartfelt tributes to the Los Angeles Lakers player and the victims of the helicopter crash via social media.
"I'm so sad and stunned right now," the "All of Me" singer wrote on Twitter. "In Staples Arena, where Kobe created so many memories for all of us, preparing to pay tribute to another brilliant man we lost too soon, Nipsey Hussle. Life can be so brutal and senseless sometimes. Hold on to your loved ones. We miss you, Kobe."
As for the cookbook author, she shared a video tribute from ESPN's Elle Duncan, in which she shared a beautiful and heartwrenching story that proved how much Bryant loved being a "girl dad."