Body Language Read of the Apology
Statement Deception of Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova to make ‘major
announcement’ Yes, she is lying.
She takes long confident steps to
the lectern (not podium as that is what someone stands on.) Her head comes down
slightly and she turns her head and body away from the audience and she does a
small self-comforting rock back and forth as she faces the lectern. This
combination of spontaneous, unplanned cues shows that initially she wanted to
look confident and righteous, but is overcome by the event.
The unfolding of her notes on the
piece of paper looked very staged oddly staged to look offhand as if there was
not an entire team of people telling her how to respond to this discovery. But
the way she rested her folded hands for a moment and then looked up shyly and
talked in a low tone of voice, again looked, at this point, more planned and
rehearsed to look humble and contrite. She touches her hair and throws her hair
back in a nervous way showing a concern about how she looks to the audience.
When she says, “I received a notice
that I had failed a drug test …” her mouth becomes dry and she struggles to say
it as she is still shocked. Interesting that when she says, “I did fail the
test and I take full responsibility for it” her volume goes up significantly and she says
in clipped way, “I take FULL..” then her volume goes down and she tries to
swallow in the words and speeds up the message as she says, “…for
responsibility for it.” She wanted to sound like she is taking responsibility
but the end of her sentence and her head down not looking at the camera shows
she clearly does NOT. It’s not shame, her posture is erect and she merely does
not fully own her apology.
As she says, “…given by my doctor,
my family doctor.” Look how her left arm is folded and wrapped around her right
to form a castle wall of protection from her stomach. This is an absolutely
understandable comfort cue. The
wording with the cues is interesting, the doctor gave her the medication. She
does not say, her doctor prescribed it or that she took it, but puts the
"owness" on him for “giving it to her.” Odd that she never “Googled”
it. As she would have seen a few lines down in the description its performance
enhancing effects as she said, “it also has a name of meldonium,” she says, “I did not know.” Though the
drug she was taking has many side effects and she would have had to be informed
of them and she was taking it for 10 years.
Her message choice also seems off
when she says, “She was given the medication for health issues that she WAS
having in 2006...” as she was still taking the medication 10 years later. When
the wording is as odd and as carefully worded that it gives a strong indication
of message manipulated to deceive.
She smiles as she says, “I don’t
want to end my career this way.” Since this is the first time she gives a true smile
and the way her eyes flirt and dance and her head moves as she says it I don’t
believe it is a nervous smile… I think she believes she still has a career that
she is too big to suffer this loss. This humor and playfulness continues as she
says, “I know many of you thought that I would be announcing my retirement.”
She actually smiles and tilts her head and flirts again as if she is thinking,
“Ha, I fooled you, and I have the upper hand here.” And continues as she makes
a joke about the, “fairly ugly carpet.” As a media coach, I was appalled that
she chose to be playful and make a rude comment when she has cheated other
honest athletes who worked very hard and made sacrifices for their sport.
From her delivery and word choice I
think she knew exactly what she was doing and she thinks she will win out over
this discovery.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
