Wendy Williams’ “Golden Globes” commentary about Joaquin Phoenix has drawn ire from fans of the actor, who say she should be fired for mocking his lip deformity.
The Change. org petition "Get Wendy Williams Fired" has been circulating for two weeks, since the Jan. 7 episode of the "Wendy Williams Show." In that episode, Williams described the actor as "oddly attractive," due to the scar on his lip. She told her audience, "He's got one of those — what do you call it — cleft lip, cleft palate."
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While describing the scar, Williams takes her finger and lifts up her lip to show what those with cleft lips look like. Phoenix, who is nominated for an Oscar for his role in “The Joker,” has said he does not have a cleft lip but rather a “nonsurgical scar he was born with.”
Some expressed outrage about the 55-year-old’s gesturing, which they said made light of those who endure serious surgery and public stares due to their scars. The petition, started by Corey Perry, details why petitioners are calling for the media personality’s firing.
“Kids can be cruel and as a mother of an amazing little guy who was born with complete bilateral cleft lip, hard and soft palate, I am completely disgusted that she thinks it’s ok to ridicule and make a joke out of something that is completely out of our control,” reads a note on the petition page. “The hours spent worrying about the hard times ahead for him, all the days spent in the hospital and the numerous surgeries he had to go through, the blood, the pain, the day to day activities that he had to miss because of feeding tubes that he needed to be able to get liquids to his stomach instead of his lungs.”
Canadian football player Adam Bighill called for an apology days after the episode aired, and Williams obliged. Bighill was born with a cleft lip.
Williams responded with an apology. She also said her show would donate to nonprofit Operation Smile, which helps fund surgeries for those born with cleft lips.
"I want to apologize to the cleft community and in Beau's honor, our show is donating to @operationsmile and @AmerCleftPalate and encourage our Wendy Watchers to learn more and help support the cleft community," she wrote in a Jan. 15 tweet.
Despite the apology, the petition has collected nearly 72,000 signatures of the 75,000 it hopes to garner.
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