TV presenter fired for seemingly racist comment about First Lady
A host from Spanish-language TV channel, Univision, has been fired after saying that Michelle Obama looks like a cast member of 'The Planet of The Apes.'
The presenter, Rodner Figueroa, was speaking on a talkshow called El Gordo Y La Flaca and was commenting on the work of a make-up artist.
"Look, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she's part of the cast of the film Planet Of The Apes," he said.
Shortly after, the Univision network released a statement saying it had fired Figueroa calling his remarks "completely reprehensible".
It added that the comments "in no way reflect Univision's values or views".
Figueroa responded by posting an open-ended letter online.
"I ask for your forgiveness, because there is no excuse for a professional like myself to make a comment like that which can be interpreted as offensive and racist in these volatile times that our country is experiencing," he wrote.
He added that the insult wasn't meant for the first lady. Rather, he wrote, it was directed at a make-up artist.