Jerry Seinfeld Is Sorry For The “Sexual Undertones” Of ‘Bee Movie’ – But Maintains He “Would Not Change It”

After students protested Jerry Seinfeld‘s commencement address at Duke University, the comedian’s speech took a bizarre turn as he once again apologized for the “sexual undertones” of Bee Movie.

2007’s Bee Movie stars Seinfeld as Barry B. Benson, a bee who decides to sue humankind for exploiting bees for their honey. Though it is never addressed in the film, Benson soon develops undeniable chemistry with a human named Vanessa Bloome, a choice that Seinfeld has previously confessed may have been a mistake on his part.

“I made a cartoon movie about bees you may have watched as a child,” Seinfeld, who directed the film, said at the commencement ceremony. “If any of you felt slightly uncomfortable about the sexual undertones in the relationship between Barry the bee and Vanessa, the florist who saves his life, I would like to apologize for that now.”

He added, “I may not have calibrated that perfectly, but I would not change it.”

The comedian and actor used the example to encourage the audience not to lose their sense of humor, even as they try to “create a more just and inclusive society.”

“The slightly uncomfortable feeling of awkward humor is OK,” he said. “It’s not something you need to fix.”

He added, “Not a lot of life makes sense for you to be able to survive it without humor.”

Seinfeld has addressed the awkward romance between Vanessa and Benson before, but this is the first time he’s stated he would not change a thing about the animated feature.

During a 2021 appearance on The Tonight Show, Seinfeld confessed, “I apologize for what seems to be a certain uncomfortable subtle sexual aspect of the Bee Movie.”

He added, “[It] really was not intentional, but after it came out, I realized this is really not appropriate for children. Because the bee seems to have a thing for the girl, and we don’t really want to pursue that as an idea in children’s entertainment.”

Seinfeld’s latest feature Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story is now streaming on Netflix.