Earlier this week, we excerpted an interview Elle Macpherson did with the Times Online, in which she was asked about eating the horns of endangered rhinos. Her reply? “A little bit like crushed bone and fungus in a capsule. Does the job though. Put it this way, works for me.” Yeah. She’s awful. A lot of sites covered the story too, and the reaction was pretty much universal: Elle is a bitch. Not only that, but she’s the kind of bitch who will eat part of an endangered animal just to look younger. Ugh. So, Elle might have been feeling the heat, because she decided to issue an apology. Scratch that – she had a non-apology (apology-ish) issued on her behalf by her publicist:

Supermodel Elle Macpherson said today that she regrets ”banter” in which she appeared to admit using a banned product made from rhino horn.

Her comments, made in an interview, upset wildlife charities for her apparent use of the Chinese medicine made from an endangered species. But today the model-turned-businesswoman said she had not ”knowingly consumed” anything made from threatened animals.

The claim originally appeared in an interview with The Sunday Times at the weekend during an interview conducted via Twitter.

She was asked what powdered rhino horn tasted like, and responded: ”A little bit like crushed bone and fungus in a capsule. Does the job though.”

However, a statement issued on her behalf today said: ”Following comments made in a newspaper article, Elle Macpherson would like to clarify that, whilst she has great respect for Chinese medicine, she is also fundamentally opposed to any activity which is detrimental to the protection of endangered species. Ms Macpherson has never knowingly consumed or encouraged the use or consumption of any products which contain material derived from endangered species and regrets any distress or offence that her banter with an interviewer might have caused when repeated out of context.”

[From Telegraph]

Ah, that tricky wording, “knowingly consumed” endangered animals. So I guess it’s alright then? Because Elle didn’t know that she was taking crushed rhino horn even though when asked what it was like to eat crushed rhino horn, she described it without confusion or regret. She also “regrets any distress or offence that her banter with an interviewer might have caused when repeated out of context.” “Banter” – right. “out of context” – sure. Doesn’t sound like Elle is sorry about anything. No, that’s not true – she’s sorry that we’re so upset about her need to punch kittens so that she look younger. I expect her non-denial statement on that issue shortly.

Here’s Elle on the cover of the new Tatler. Orange much?

Header: Elle on July 8, 2010, also June 3, 2010. Credit: WENN. Also, Tatler cover courtesy of The Fashion Spot.