--- title: George H.W. Bush Apologizes to Actress Who Alleged Touching description: "President Bush would never — under any circumstance — intentionally cause anyone distress," a spokesperson said canonical: https://time.com/4996794/george-h-w-bush-heather-lind/ author: Sarah Begley article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-25T20:50:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T17:59:47.717Z article:section: Politics og:title: George H.W. Bush Apologizes After Actress Claims He Touched Her og:description: "He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side" og:url: https://time.com/4996794/george-h-w-bush-heather-lind/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f0f9c870c951534/6988e34bbc6cfc424c3e3ae7/george-h-w-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3435 og:image:height: 1932 og:image:alt: George H.W. Bush og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: George H.W. Bush Apologizes After Actress Claims He Touched Her twitter:description: "He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f0f9c870c951534/6988e34bbc6cfc424c3e3ae7/george-h-w-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # George H.W. Bush Apologizes After An Actress Claimed He Touched Her Inappropriately > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=321fedbc-3ece-41a3-8a99-cd0889111edf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=321fedbc-3ece-41a3-8a99-cd0889111edf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=321fedbc-3ece-41a3-8a99-cd0889111edf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Oct 25, 2017 8:50 PM UTC  President George H.W. Bush arrives for the coin toss prior to Super Bowl 51 between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. President George H.W. Bush arrives for the coin toss prior to Super Bowl 51 between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Patrick Smith—Getty Images by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Oct 25, 2017 8:50 PM UTC Former President [George H.W. Bush](http://time.com/4759687/george-h-w-bush-hospital-released-texas/) has apologized through a spokesperson after an actress said he touched her inappropriately and made a lewd joke during a photo opportunity. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Heather Lind wrote that four years ago, when she met H.W. Bush to promote a historical TV series, “He didn’t shake my hand. He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side. He told me a dirty joke. And then, all the while being photographed, touched me again.” H.W. Bush spokesperson Jim McGrath wrote in a statement Wednesday that “[President Bush](http://time.com/4657068/george-hw-bush-coin-toss-super-bowl/) would never — under any circumstance — intentionally cause anyone distress, and he most sincerely apologizes if his attempt at humor offended Ms. Lind.” The former [President](http://time.com/4732712/bill-clinton-george-hw-bush/) is 93 years old, uses a wheelchair and suffers from a disease similar to [Parkinson’s](https://www.apnews.com/680fef9f1cb14194baf40f162fb81b5d) and other conditions. H.W. Bush was the 41st U.S. President; his son, George W. Bush, was the 43rd. Lund posted her comments after a photo circulated showing all [five former living presidents](http://time.com/4993154/george-w-bush-barack-obama-laugh-bill-clinton-speech/) on stage together in College Station, Texas, raising money for hurricane recovery efforts. Bush waived a hand to the audience, but he has difficulty speaking and did not make any remarks. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4996794/george-h-w-bush-heather-lind/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4996794/george-h-w-bush-heather-lind/"},"headline":"George H.W. Bush Apologizes After An Actress Claimed He Touched Her Inappropriately","datePublished":"2017-10-25T20:50:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T17:59:47.717Z","description":"\"He touched me from behind from his wheelchair with his wife Barbara Bush by his side\"","url":"https://time.com/4996794/george-h-w-bush-heather-lind/","keywords":["onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f0f9c870c951534/6988e34bbc6cfc424c3e3ae7/george-h-w-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Begley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f0f9c870c951534/6988e34bbc6cfc424c3e3ae7/george-h-w-bush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"George H.W. Bush","caption":"George H.W. Bush","creditText":"Patrick Smith—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4996794/george-h-w-bush-heather-lind/","name":"George H.W. Bush Apologizes After An Actress Claimed He Touched Her Inappropriately"}}]}] ```