Charles Barkley apologizes for joking to reporter that he’d hit her
Originally posted Wednesday, November 20, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
"Inside the NBA" star Charles Barkley apologized after joking to a female reporter, "I don't hit women but if I did, I would hit you."
Axios reporter Alexi McCammond tweeted Tuesday about the incident. She immediately complained to Barkley about what he had said and he told her that she "couldn't take a joke."
On Wednesday, Barkley released this statement through Atlanta-based Turner Sports:
“My comment was inappropriate and unacceptable,” Barkley said Wednesday in a statement. “It was an attempted joke that wasn’t funny at all. There’s no excuse for it and I apologize.”
The comments were part of an off-the-record conversation about Barkley's thoughts on Democratic candidates Deval Patrick and Pete Buttigieg, McCammond said in a series of tweets.
But McCammond said she broke this “off the record” rule because of the inappropriate nature of his comments.
The comments Charles Barkley made to me are not acceptable. Threats of violence are not a joke, & no person deserves to be hit or threatened like that. Silence only allows the culture of misogyny to fester. And those kinds of comments don't merit off-the-record protections. https://t.co/cll93GdZwh
— Alexi McCammond (@alexi) November 20, 2019
Barkley, a former NBA player, has been part of the “Inside the NBA” crew since 2000.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
