The Sydney harbourside venue that denied entry to singer Pink has broken its silence, releasing an official statement describing what happened.
Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club made headlines early on Thursday when it was revealed the American superstar was unable to enter the venue because she had failed to produce ID.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pink refused entry to Sydney club.
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The singer, currently in the midst of her Australian tour, had made a reservation for dinner at the venue but was not allowed into the prestigious waterfront club because she could not prove her identity.
The group of eight was turned away, with onlookers saying Pink didn’t “throw her weight around” or act like a diva when her entourage was kicked out.
The club in question has since released a statement denying it unceremoniously “turfed” the So What? singer out.
Secretary manager Matt Hazell apologised to the 44-year-old singer and said Pink “chose to leave” rather than being booted out.
“It’s a shame, we understand the situation was frustrating, and for that, we apologise to Pink,” Hazell said.
“We all missed a real opportunity here to show Pink and her crew some of the best food and hospitality Sydney has to offer.
“The Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club extends our sincerest apologies to Pink, her family, and friends for the inconvenience experienced during her recent visit to our venue.
“It’s important to clarify that Pink was not ‘turfed out’; she chose to leave after encountering the sign-in process issue.
“As a 100-year-old sailing club, we have policies to ensure all patrons are signed in correctly.
“However, there was a misunderstanding, and we regret any embarrassment or frustration caused.
“We appreciate (Pink’s) graciousness and hope to welcome her back soon.”
An eyewitness to the incident says he first bumped into the singer when her group was walking along East Esplanade.
“My cousin and I were walking on the Manly foreshore on the way to the Skiff, when I noticed a woman who stood out a bit,” Mark Eymes told Manly Observer.
“She was wearing a matching denim printed jacket, shorts and hat and she looked familiar, even though I wouldn’t call myself a Pink fan.
“She was meandering along in a group of about eight, and she turned around and said, ‘I’m really sorry, we are walking a bit slowly, please go past’.
“The American accent was when I realised that she was Pink.”
He later saw Pink in the queue to enter the club, and he says he overheard her telling the staff she had a booking.
But, in keeping with long-standing Australian club restrictions, Pink was apparently told she could not enter without ID — despite having paid a deposit.
“Next thing, I saw Pink and her group walking away. They just turfed her out,” Eymes said.
“Not once did she throw her weight around.
“She was really pleasant despite being a little upset that she couldn’t come in.
“It was just such a shame and I felt a little embarrassed that a solution couldn’t be found.”
Pink is in Australia for her Summer Carnival Tour and performed in Sydney last weekend.
Her entourage is now in Queensland, with Pink, her husband Carey Hart and their two children Willow, 12, and Jameson, 7, seen boarding a plane at Sydney Airport on Wednesday.
Pink will play two concerts at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on February 16 and 17 before heading to the Gold Coast for a concert at Heritage Bank Stadium on February 20.
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