Amid backlash, a morning TV host has apologized after passing hurtful remarks for her colleague whom she compared with a gorilla.
Alex Housden from the KOCO 5 News in Oklahoma City was co-hosting a news segment with Jason Hackett on August 22. She said to her colleague that a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo “kind of looks like you.”
She made the remarks when a video of a young gorilla appeared on-screen during a segment on the Okhlahoma City Zoo.
A tearful Housden, apologized on the next day’s show. “I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, it was inappropriate, and I hurt people,” she said.
She continued “And I want you to know, I understand how much I hurt you out there and how much I’ve hurt you. I love you so much, and you have been one of my best
friends for the past year and a half. And I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you. And I love our community and I want you all to know, from the bottom of my heart, I apologize for what I said. I know it was wrong and I am so sorry.”Social media users called her out for her racist remarks and demanded she should be fired from her job. The white local news anchor, however, didn’t address racism in her apology.
Although Hackett accepted her apology but remarked that the comment was painful. “It cut deep for me and it cut deep for a lot of you in the community,” he said.
He took this opportunity to bring attention to understanding stereotypes, each other’s backgrounds and words that hurt especially during a time of changing demographics in America.
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