The scientist who played a key role in landing a probe on a speeding comet is receiving more criticism for his fashion choice than praise for his incredible achievement. INSIDE EDITION explains.
It's the shirt that launched a rocket scientist into a firestorm of controversy.
Matt Taylor is the genius who played a key role in last week's historic landing of a spacecraft on a comet 300 million miles from Earth. But at the very moment of his triumph, Taylor chose to wear a shirt covered with scantily clad women carrying firearms.
It didn't help when Taylor had this to say about the comet landing: "She's sexy, but I never said she was easy."
The Twittersphere erupted with the hashtag #shirtstorm going viral.
One tweet said: "One small shirt for a man, one giant sexist remark for mankind."
Another said: "I think there were more women represented on the #shirtstorm shirt than in the mission control rooms for #CometLanding."
Taylor was so mortified that he broke down in tears and apologized, this time wearing a simple black hoody.
In a live European Space Agency broadcast, he said, "The shirt I wore this week, I made a big mistake and I offended many people and I am very sorry about this."
Now, there's a backlash to the backlash.
Fox News Channel host Greg Gutfeld said on The Five, "So a man lands a rocket on a comet, something no one else has ever done, and he's reduced to tears over a shirt."
It turns out that the shirt was custom-made by Taylor's friend, Elly Prizeman.
She told INSIDE EDITION, "I gave it to him to say good luck with the mission as well as it being his birthday. I'm into the pin-up and burlesque and alternative scene, so I personally don't find things like that offensive."
INSIDE EDITION's Megan Alexander asked, "Is the Matt Taylor you know sexist?"
Prizeman replied, "No, not at all. He's one of the sweetest people I have ever met."
This is one historic triumph overshadowed by a really poor choice of wardrobe.
