OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. (THECOUNT) — Oklahoma news anchor, KOCO Alex Housden, is in the dog house after telling her co-host, Jason Hackett, during a segment about an Oklahoma City Zoo gorilla, that he resembled the primate.
“This is Fin. He’s a resident at the Oklahoma City Zoo and this week the zoo’s ape caretaker took over their Instagram and we are all loving that they did,” she said, as the Gorilla gets up close and personal with an on-site camera. But it was not the camera-friendly primate that would grab local headlines..
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“Now as you can see, Fin was fascinated by the camera,” Housden added.
“Definitely ready for his close up,” Hackett chimed in.
“He kinda looks like you,” Housden then seemed to quip.
Being a professional and an incredible good sport — what else is he going to do? — the black co-anchor laughed awkwardly while agreeing with his colleague, reports BizPacReview.
The inevitable tearful apology was to follow the next day, with Housden appearing on camera with Hackett, breaking down before she could utter her first sentence.
“I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, that was inappropriate, and I hurt people,” she began, tears already flowing.
“I hurt people. I want you to know I understand how much I hurt you out there and how much I hurt you,” Housden said, as she addressed Hackett. “I’m just humiliated.”
As well you should be.
“I love you so much and you’re one of the best friends the past year and a half and I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you,” she told her coworker as he looked him in the eye.
Hacket has been a class act from the beginning, after being put in a very awkward situation over the incident, especially in the black community where the news anchor has been attacked for being so gracious.
Accepting her apology on air, Hackett returned the affection to his friend while noting that her words did “cut deep.”
“The lesson here is that words matter,” he said. “We have to understand the stereotypes, we have to understand each other’s backgrounds and the words that hurt, the words that cut deep.”