On Tuesday, information circulated suggesting White House pastry chef Bill Yosses resigned his position because he was dissatisfied with first lady Michelle Obama's focus on healthy eating.
This Feb. 19, 2011 file photo shows White House pastry chef Bill Yosses speaking in Washington. Yosses has decided to turn in his apron after more than seven years of dessert making to move to New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
"White House pastry chef resigns: 'I don't want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs,'" read one outlet’s headline, excerpting from a Tuesday New York Times story.
But a quick look at the Times story that served as a basis for the information reveals Yosses' reasons for leaving are actually quite the opposite.
In the Times story, Yosses says he made the "bittersweet decision" to leave because he was inspired by Obama’s passion for healthy eating and wanted to "teach children and adults about eating better."
In fact, Yosses praised the first lady as an "inspiring boss" with a "combination of spontaneity and seriousness."
The quote he gave the Times about not wanting to "demonize" sugary foods appears to have been said more in good humor instead of as a scathing remark against Obama's healthy foods campaign.
As for Michelle Obama being "partly to blame" for Yosses leaving? That was simply a clever opening lede to the Times' story.
Technically, the Times said the first lady is partly to blame — but that's because it said she inspired him to teach others about healthy foods, not because Yosses was unhappy working under her.
If evidence exists that Yosses left for other reasons, none has been presented thus far.
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