Stars can pay the price for bigotry
As the nationwide protests calling for racial justice continue, the entertainment industry has taken action to publicize its intolerance for racism. Cancelling shows and firing stars from series after insensitive comments are among the measures being taken to support the fight for equality.
Public figures are being held accountable for offensive actions and words. Late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon apologized after a blackface sketch from his early “Saturday Night Live” career resurfaced, while a top ABC News executive was placed on administrative leave for racist comments.
Celebrities are not immune to the consequences of bigotry.
Alex Kompothecras (‘Siesta Key’)
MTV officially cut ties with the reality TV star June 16 for alleged racist social media posts. According to US Weekly, Kompothecras used a racial epithet in a resurfaced Instagram post from 2013, along with approving comments about other racist posts.
“We’ve made the decision to cut ties with Alex and are editing the current season to minimize his presence,” the “Siesta Key” Twitter account said.
Jessica Mulroney (‘I Do, Redo,’ ‘GMA’)
A close friend of Meghan Markle, Jessica Mulroney saw her Canadian reality TV show “I Do, Redo” pulled off the air June 11 after allegedly threatening to end the career of Black blogger Sasha Exeter. And ABC’s “Good Morning America” tweeted she would no longer appear on the show as a contributor.
In an Instagram live video, Exeter said Mulroney “took offense to a very generic call-to-action that I shared on my IG stories,” resulting in a written threat to end her career.
The CTV network announced that “I Do” has been canceled.
Peter Hunziker (‘Below Deck Mediterranean’)
Peter Hunziker, a star of Bravo’s “Below Deck Mediterranean,” was fired Wednesday for reposting a racist and misogynistic Instagram post. According
to Variety and Daily Mail, the reality star, who played the lead deckhand in Season 5, posted a meme of a naked Black woman in chains on social media.
On Wednesday, Bravo announced on Instagram that Hunziker “has been terminated for his racist post.”
Craig Gore (‘Law and Order: Organized Crime’)
“Law & Order: Organized Crime” writer Craig Gore was fired June 2 for threatening to “light up looters” in a since-deleted Facebook post.
Gore, who worked on NBC’s upcoming spinoff, posted a photo of himself with a rifle in front with a caption, “curfew”, after threatening to “light motherf***ers up who try to f*** w/my property.” This post came after the riots following George Floyd’s death.
“I will not tolerate this conduct, especially during our hour of national grief,” wrote “Law & Order” producer Dick Wolf in a statement on Twitter. “I am terminating Craig Gore immediately.”
Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni (‘Vanderpump Rules’)
Bravo also cut four members from the reality TV series “Vanderpump Rules” for racist acts.
Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute were fired June 9 after co-star Faith Stowers revealed the two had made a false police report about her in 2018.
“They called the cops and said it was me,” Stowers said on Instagram Live, referring to a Black suspect accused of bribing and drugging others.
In a separate incident, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were both booted from the series after racist tweets from 2012 resurfaced, in which both had used a racial epithet on multiple occasions.
Bravo and producer Evolution Media confirmed on Twitter that all four of the reality stars have been fired.
Hartley Sawyer (‘The Flash’)
The “Flash” star was fired from the CW superhero drama after a series of his past tweets resurfaced. While Sawyer’s Twitter account has been deactivated, the 35-year-old actor drew backlash for posts from 2012 to 2014, referencing assault, misogyny, homophobic slurs and racism.
In a statement, CW, producers Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions and Eric Wallace, confirmed that Sawyer would “not be returning for Season 7 of ‘The Flash.’”
Adam Rapoport (Bon Appetit)
Bon Appétit editor in chief Adam Rapoport was forced to resign after a 2013 photo of him using “brown face” for a Halloween costume resurfaced. He was shown wearing a Bronx baseball cap, Yankees shirt and platinum chain with the caption “#TBT me and my papi @rapo4 #boricua.”
In a since-deleted post, the former editor announced his resignation on Instagram, writing “I am stepping down ... to reflect on the work that I need to do as a human being and to allow Bon Appétit to get to a better place.”
Rapoport has been replaced by interim editor Amanda Shapiro.
Taylor Selfridge (‘Teen Mom’)
MTV cut ties with “Teen Mom” star Taylor Selfridge after racist tweets from 2012 resurfaced. The network wrote on Twitter that it had pulled “Teen Mom OG At Home: Cory & Taylor’s Baby Special” from its Tuesday schedule.
While Selfridge’s Twitter account is currently suspended, a series of screenshots revealed that the reality star had posted several racist tweets.
“We have to greet everyone at work but sometimes I won’t greet the black people cause they scare me,” she wrote in 2012.
Abby Lee Miller (‘Dance Moms’)
“Dance Moms” coach Abby Lee Miller had her Lifetime show, “Abby’s Virtual Dance-Off” canceled amid allegations of racism during Season 8. Former contestant Adriana Smith accused Miller of making numerous bigoted comments during the show.
“A statement from her that sticks in my mind to this day during my time on DMS8 is ‘I know you grew up in the HOOD with only a box of 8 crayons, but I grew up in the Country Club with a box of 64 - don’t be stupid.’” Smith wrote on Instagram. “This to me shows that you think you are better than me and in higher rank and all together superior to ME!”
Lifetime spokeswoman Kannie Yu LaPack told USA TODAY that “we currently do not have plans to air the show.”