NOVANEWS
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Rodner Figueroa was fired after making a racist statement about Michelle Obama
Rodner Figueroa released a statement denying he is racist and that his comments had been misrepresented.
Venezuelan-born TV personality, Rodner Figueroa, was fired from his position at U.S.-based broadcaster Univision Thursday after comparing U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to an ape.
Figueroa, former host of Sal y Pimienta on Univision who specialized in providing fashion commentary, made the racist remark on El Gordo y La Flaca, an entertainment news show on the Spanish-language U.S. broadcaster.
Figueroa and the show hosts were commenting on a video where a male makeup artist transforms himself to look like celebrities, such as Julia Roberts and Michelle Obama.
“Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she’s from the cast of ‘Planet of the Apes,’ the movie,” said Figueroa.
Univision subsequently fired Figueroa and released a statement saying that his comments “in no way reflect the values or opinions of Univision.”
Figueroa, who has published right-wing commentary on social media before including opposition to Venezuela’s elected government and support for violent protests last year, later released a statement addressed to the first lady apologizing for his comments but also claimed they were “misinterpreted” as racist.
“I want to clarify that I am not racist in any way, my comment was not directed towards you, but towards the characterization of the artist, who left much to be desired. The entire video clip in context proves it,” said Figueroa.
He also claims in his statement that he comes from a bi-racial family and that his father is, in fact, Afro-Latino.
Afro-Descendants are a sizable minority population in Venezuela in late president, Hugo Chavez, who often spoke proudly of his ancestry.
Figueroa, former host of Sal y Pimienta on Univision who specialized in providing fashion commentary, made the racist remark on El Gordo y La Flaca, an entertainment news show on the Spanish-language U.S. broadcaster.
Figueroa and the show hosts were commenting on a video where a male makeup artist transforms himself to look like celebrities, such as Julia Roberts and Michelle Obama.
“Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she’s from the cast of ‘Planet of the Apes,’ the movie,” said Figueroa.
Univision subsequently fired Figueroa and released a statement saying that his comments “in no way reflect the values or opinions of Univision.”
Figueroa, who has published right-wing commentary on social media before including opposition to Venezuela’s elected government and support for violent protests last year, later released a statement addressed to the first lady apologizing for his comments but also claimed they were “misinterpreted” as racist.
“I want to clarify that I am not racist in any way, my comment was not directed towards you, but towards the characterization of the artist, who left much to be desired. The entire video clip in context proves it,” said Figueroa.
He also claims in his statement that he comes from a bi-racial family and that his father is, in fact, Afro-Latino.
Afro-Descendants are a sizable minority population in Venezuela in late president, Hugo Chavez, who often spoke proudly of his ancestry.
