Talk show host Rodner Figueroa was fired by Univision this week after being accused of making racist comments involving Michelle Obama. On Friday, he apologized, saying he was not talking about the First Lady, but rather a man impersonating her.
Figueroa's comment was made while he and the hosts of the show "El Gordo y La Flaca" were reviewing Instagram photos posted by makeup artist Paolo Ballesteros, who has become famous for styling himself to look like many female celebrities. Ballesteros' photos were placed side-by-side with photos of the real celebrities so the hosts could comment on the accuracy of the artist's makeup skills.
"Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she's from the cast of 'Planet of the Apes,' the movie," Figueroa quipped,
The Associated Press reported via Yahoo News.
The remark was deemed racist by many, including Univision, which fired him after the show.
The Huffington Post reported that Figueroa soon penned a public letter to Michelle Obama in which he apologized.
"I want to clarify that I'm not racist and in no way was my comment directed at you, but rather the work of the [makeup] artist, which left much to be desired," he wrote in Spanish. "I feel embarrassed, I apologize, because there is no excuse for a professional like me to make these type of comments that can be interpreted as offensive and racist in such volatile times in our country."
Figueroa went on to explain that he is from a biracial family, is one of the first openly gay personalities on Spanish-language TV, and twice voted for President Barack Obama.
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