A Texas pastor who had accused Whole Foods workers of adding an anti-gay message on a cake he ordered has dropped his lawsuit against the grocery chain, and offered up an apology for the apparent hoax.

“The company did nothing wrong,” he said in a statement reported by The New York Times, in which he apologized to Whole Foods and its team members, especially the baker associate who was caught in the middle. “I was wrong to pursue this matter and use the media to perpetuate this story.”

He also apologized to the gay, lesbian, and transgender community for “diverting attention from real issues,” and to his partner, family, church family, and his attorney.

The man, who is openly gay, claimed that a cake he’d ordered should have read “Love Wins,” but that he noticed after he picked it up that a homophobic slur had been added to his original message so that it read “Love Wins F–”.

Whole Foods countersued, denying the allegations and calling the man’s claims “fraudulent.” The company now says it will drop that lawsuit in light of the customer’s apology.

“We’re very pleased that the truth has come to light,” it said. “Given [the man’s] apology and public admission that his story was a complete fabrication, we see no reason to move forward with our countersuit to defend the integrity of our brand and team members.”

Gay Pastor Apologizes After Accusing Whole Foods of Writing Slur on Chocolate Cake [The New York Times]

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