*A long-time WLBT journalist has not been seen on air since March 8 after she recited Snoop Dogg lyrics during a morning broadcast.
As the Clarion Ledger reports, Barbie Bassett, who is white, is no longer listed as a member of the Mississippi TV news station’s team.
Social media users have concluded that she was removed from her morning anchor position for saying, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle,” during a story about Snoop Dogg’s Cali Wine Collection.
“Fo shizzle my nizzle” is a popular catchphrase of the rapper, and is slang for, “for sure, my ni**a.” Bassett was accused of being racially insensitive for repeating it on air. And now she appears to be out of a job.
According to the Clarion Ledger, Bassett’s bio has been removed from the WLBT Website. The outlet also notes that Bassett released a statement late last year in which she apologized for referring to a Black reporter’s “grandmammy” on air in October of 2022.
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Longtime Mississippi news anchor appears to no longer be employed with the news team after saying, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle” on airhttps://t.co/O5tFTsac1g pic.twitter.com/hs01IyVQaL
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 24, 2023
“Last Friday on our newscast ‘Today at 11’, I used a term that was offensive to many in our audience and to my coworkers here at WLBT. Though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful. I have apologized to Carmen Poe,” Bassett said at the time.
“Now, I would like to apologize to you. That is not the heart of who I am. And for that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness and I apologize to everyone I have offended. I will learn from this and participate in training so I can better understand our history and our people. I can’t mend the hurt my comment caused. I pray you’ll forgive me and that you’ll extend grace through this awful mistake,” she continued.
WLBT has also made no public comment on the status of her employment.
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