Listen Live
KMJQ Featured Video
CLOSE

A morning news anchor in Oklahoma apologized to her black co-host, one day after likening him to a gorilla.

Alex Housden said a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo “kind of looks like you” to her colleague, Jason Hackett, at the end of a feature on CNN affiliate KOCO-TV.

She addressed what she called “hurtful comments” on the show last Friday.

“I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, it was inappropriate, and I hurt people,” a tearful Housden said to the audience and Hackett.

“And I want you to know, I understand how much I hurt you out there and how much I’ve hurt you. I love you so much, and you have been one of my best friends for the past year and a half. And I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you. And I love our community and I want you all to know, from the bottom of my heart, I apologize for what I said. I know it was wrong and I am so sorry.”

Hackett did not address the racism implicit in Housden comparing an African American to an ape and accepted her apology, all while acknowledging the pain her statement caused. “It cut deep for me and it cut deep for a lot of you in the community,” he said.

“We have to understand the stereotypes,” he said. “We have to understand each other’s backgrounds and the words that hurt, the words that cut deep.”

RELATED: News Anchor Fired After On-Air Racially Insensitive Remark

RELATED: Watch: Black News Anchor Gives Dignified Response To Racist Tweet