Of him uttering the c-word on air, Jeremy Kappell explains that he tripped over his words which resulted to him accidentally combining 'king' and 'junior.'
- Jan 10, 2019
AceShowbiz - Rochester meteorologist Jeremy Kappell lost his job after using a racial slur on air. However, not all people are against him apparently, as fellow weatherman Al Roker shows his support for Kappell.
The chief meteorologist at NBC affiliate WHEC in Rochester, New York, was fired after he uttered the c-word, which has been used as a racial slur against black people, to refer to a park named after the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Kappell said in an interview with "Today" on Tuesday, January 8, that he tripped over his words which resulted to him accidentally combining "king" and "junior." He went on explaining, "Two words mashed together incorrectly. What I said wasn't even a word, it was a sound -- people, I believe, read into that."
Roker then took to his Twitter account to weigh in on the matter, expressing his support to Kappell. In his tweet, the "Today" co-host said that what Kappell did was "an unfortunate flub," adding that he "should be given the chance to apologize on @news10nbnc." His tweet continued, "Anyone who has done live tv and screwed up (google any number of ones I've done) understands."
I think @JeremyKappell made an unfortunate flub and should be given the chance to apologize on @news10nbc Anyone who has done live tv and screwed up (google any number of ones I’ve done) understands.
— Al Roker (@alroker) January 9, 2019
It arrived after Kappell apologized in a Facebook video. His wife Lisa also came to his defense, saying, "For him to be called a racist, it just makes me very sad. I was sickened. We teach our children the message of loving others."
Kappell was terminated on late Sunday night, writing in a statement, "Since our decision to terminate his employment, this station has been caught in the middle of a vitriolic political debate. We believe we have done what is right for our station and our community, and will continue to take a strong stand for our personal and professional values."
However, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warrent, who is black, still thinks that WHEC waited too long. "It took the station nearly two days to apologize, and only after the station was shamed into doing so by a backlash on social media," she said in a statement.
