A host from Univision Entertainment was terminated by the company following the controversial racist comments he made against the First Lady of the United States, according to Deadline.
Rodner Figueroa, a Daytime Emmy Award winner, was fired from his post after he uttered allegedly racist remarks against Michelle Obama. One of the show's segments featured a makeup artist from the Philippines who gained popularity in the international scene due to his ability to "morph" his looks from one celebrity to another.
The segment mood was lighthearted up until the said artist was shown transforming himself into Barack Obama's wife and Figueroa said, "Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she's from the cast of Planet Of The Apes, the movie."
The comment was met with stunned silence and disbelief by his co-hosts, Lili Estefan and Raul de Molina. While Estefan challenged the comment, de Molina decided to ease the tension by saying that the First Lady is "very attractive." However, his tension diffusing tactics were ignored as Figueroa went on to defend his comment by adding that his observation was "true."
This incident later on sparked debate on the racist nature of the comment, which prompted the network to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
"Yesterday during our entertainment program, "El Gordo y La Flaca," Rodner Figueroa made comments regarding First Lady Michelle Obama that were completely reprehensible and in no way reflect Univision's values or views," the station said in an official statement on Thursday. "As a result, Mr. Figueroa was immediately terminated," Univision further disclosed.
Meanwhile, Figueroa issued a statement regarding the issue as well. Apart from profusely apologizing the aggrieved party, the former talk show host cited his family and personal background as reasons for his adamant refusal to accept the ground used for his termination.
"I want to make it clear that I'm not racist and it was directed personally to you, but to the characterization of the artist, that left a lot to be desired. The clip in full context is proof," he said in the statement translated in Latin Times.
He further added that he felt "embarrassed" for this incident, citing that he cannot provide a reasonable explanation for a professional like himself to utter comments that could be "interpreted as offensive and racist in a volatile moment" in the country today.
"I take responsibility for this lack of judgment in my part, but I can't accept that I am being called a racist and being fired for that reason and being humiliated by Univision after working there for 17 years. I come from a bi-racial Latin family, with family members, like my father, who is Afro-Latino," Figueroa shared.
At present, no comment has been provided by Michelle Obama herself or any of her representatives.
