PORT HURON, Mich. (WXYZ) — Only on 7, Shell Wrubel explains and apologizes for comments her husband has posted on social media that have gone viral and are drawing sharp criticism.
Mrs. Wrubel says that she and her husband have lost 75% of their business with the shutdown and COVID-19 restrictions. But she agrees the post her husband made that Governor Whitmer “can go kill herself and do Michigan a huge favor” went too far.
“We’ve said things sometimes out of anger out of frustration,” she told Jim Kiertzner outside their restaurant in Port Huron. She added, “we do not endorse suicide in any way.”
The name of their business is Cheff Shell’s Restaurant and Catering. Shell says they’ve been in business 22 years and married 33 years.
Mark Wrubel posted his own apology on Facebook calling this “slips of frustration and lapses of judgment.”
He also posted, “I have been under a lot of stress watching people lose their jobs and their business all due to the pandemic.”
Tony Heilman lives in Port Huron and saw the posts including the one suggesting the Governor commit suicide.
“Honestly I thought that was very unprofessional of him,” Heilman says.
He says he messages Wrubel yesterday and told him, “I think what he should do is donate money publicly to suicide prevention.”
But this is not all.
Mark Wrubel also posted, “I will be coming out with a new donut called the Gretchen, Long John filled with chocolate white frosting and loaded with nuts on top.”
Heilman says this is something that has been going on for some time, “that are along the lines of sexism, racism that I have witnessed."
Shell Wrubel says her husband’s apology is sincere, “with a genuine heart he’s asking for forgiveness. People that know us know our character, know our heart’s in our community.”
