*A morning anchor for an Oklahoma television station is under fire after she compared her Black co-anchor to an ape.
After a segment about a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo, KOCO-TV anchor Alex Housden then compared the animal to co-anchor Jason Hackett by saying: “Kind of looks like you,” the Charlotte Observer reports.
Hackett actually agreed with her, adding: “He kind of does, actually, yeah.”
The following day, Housden offered Hackett a tearful on-air apology.
“I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, it was inappropriate, and I hurt people,” she said. “I want you to know I understand how much I hurt you out there and how much I hurt (Hackett).”
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@koconews Naw she didn’t!#koco5##whoops##notacceptable##notfunny pic.twitter.com/XnIxBVv9P0
— Roland Garrett (@RgOKC) August 22, 2019
Housden said she would “never do anything on purpose to hurt” him.
“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.”
Hackett said 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.
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