Rapper T.I. appeared to defend a white Oklahoma anchor woman who compared her Black co-host to a gorilla during a live broadcast.
As we previously reported, after a segment about a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo on Aug. 22, KOCO-TV anchor Alex Housden compared the animal to co-anchor Jason Hackett, saying: “Kind of looks like you,” the Charlotte Observer reports.
Hackett actually agreed with her, adding: “He kind of does, actually, yeah.”
After being slammed on Twitter over the racist comment, Housden offered Hackett a tearful on-air apology the next day.
As reported by SandraRose, in a since deleted post on Instagram, T.I. appeared to defend Housden by noting that Hackett does look like an ape.
Blogger ATLien of Straightfromthea.com captured a screenshot of the post, in which T.I. said he accepted Housden’s apology and believed she was sincere because Hackett “kinda favored that [gorilla].”
ATLien noted that T.I.’s comments is “especially shocking considering his stance on Gucci’s red lipped monkey shirt.”
You recall how the hip-hop star called for a 3-month boycott of Gucci earlier this year over its controversial blackface turtleneck sweater.
During her apology segment, Housden said she would “never do anything on purpose to hurt” Housden.
“I want you all to know from the bottom of my heart I apologize for what I said,” she added. “I know it was wrong, and I am so sorry.”
Hackett, of course, accepted the tearful white woman’s apology and noted that she’s one of his best friends.
“What she said yesterday was wrong,” he said. “It cut deep for me, and it cut deep for a lot of you in the community.”
He also noted that the apology was a “teachable moment.”
“We’re becoming a more diverse country, and there’s no excuse. We have to understand the stereotypes. We have to understand each other’s backgrounds and the words that hurt, the words that cut deep,” he added. “We have to find a way to replace those words with love and words of affirmation as well.”
Watch the cringe-worthy segment via the Twitter embed above and watch the apology below.
