A Mississippi news anchor and meteorologist has not been on the air since quoting a popular Snoop Dogg phrase that includes a substitute for the N-word.
via People:
WLBT’s Barbie Bassett, who is White, made the comment during a broadcast earlier this month while discussing a new release from the rapper’s wine collection, according to The Clarion Ledger.
When a colleague joked about Bassett getting a tattoo of the rapper, like Martha Stewart did in a recent commercial, Bassett replied affirmatively, saying “Fo shizzle, my nizzle,” a phrase that includes slang for the N-word.
Although the station has not commented publicly on the matter, her bio is not listed on WLBT’s website, the Ledger reported.
When contacted by PEOPLE on Monday, WLBT Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry said the station “is unable to comment on personnel matters.”
“Right now we are focused on helping the communities of Rolling Fork and Silver City in the Mississippi Delta where more than 20 people were killed and an entire town destroyed Friday night,” added Fortenberry.
The newscaster has not posted on social media since earlier this month, including about the deadly tornados, nor has she appeared on WLBT, per the Clarion Ledger.
Her most recent Instagram post, made on March 14, did not directly mention what happened, but featured a quote about being able to “withstand a storm.”
Bassett did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Bassett previously issued an apology in October 2022 after making insensitive comments on the air referring to a Black reporter’s “grandmammy,” per The Birmingham News.
“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,” she said in a statement released by the station.
In addition to apologizing to the reporter, Bassett said she apologized to viewers.
“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,” she said. “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.”
At the time, WLBT said that they had “internal conversations and discussions about this situation.”
She should’ve known better.
