TV anchors apologize for ‘smoking blunts, drinking 40’ jokes over Diddy’s interest in NFL team
When Sean “Diddy” Combs announced he wanted to buy an NFL team this week, a couple of San Francisco TV anchors laughed at the idea on-air. Now the reporters are issuing an apology after their comments were widely criticized on social media.
» RELATED: Diddy wants to buy Carolina Panthers, Colin Kaepernick, Steph Curry want in
During KRON-TV’s sports segment “The World According to Darya” Monday morning, Darya Folsom and Henry Wofford reported on Diddy’s offer to purchase the Carolina Panthers after the owner put it up for sale amid sexual misconduct allegations.
The media mogul, who initially expressed his interest on Twitter Sunday, said he wanted to make history as one of the few majority African American NFL owners.
There are no majority African American NFL owners. Let’s make history.
— Diddy (@Diddy) December 18, 2017
While several people, including Stephen Curry and Colin Kaepernick, supported the cause, the San Francisco reporters made fun of Combs.
“How can you take Diddy seriously? The guy looks high right there in this video,” Wofford said on the show. “He looks like he smoked a blunt and drank a 40. ... You got to stay in your comfort zone. You know music. Go and do your music thing.”
Folsom laughed hysterically, adding, “I don’t even really know what Diddy does anymore. What does Diddy even do?”
Diddy is almost worth 820 million dollars his companies over 2 billion but white people still talk about him like he’s a hoodrat, not a multimillionaire business man who continues to top each year with the most money made by any other entertainer. Shows how white people view us. pic.twitter.com/JSw0NHAFUU
— Tommy Rosiers (@tommyrosiers) December 18, 2017
» RELATED: Team owner to put Carolina Panthers up for sale amid sexual misconduct investigation
The clip hit the internet quickly, and many criticized the journalists for their comments. The controversy also prompted a conversation about race and stereotypes, particularly those aimed at black people, and several thought Combs was more than capable of taking on the endeavor.
Diddy is almost worth 820 million dollars his companies over 2 billion but white people still talk about him like he’s a hoodrat, not a multimillionaire business man who continues to top each year with the most money made by any other entertainer. Shows how white people view us. pic.twitter.com/JSw0NHAFUU
— Tommy Rosiers (@tommyrosiers) December 18, 2017
I learned that Diddy essentially doubled down on his ability to evaluate talent early in his career and his dissenters are nobodies now. He's a business genius and would make me immediately buy more Panthers gear.
— Elliott, not Elliot (@it_is_elliott) December 18, 2017
Diddy bout to roll up to them news anchors like, I hope he goes through with buying the panthers. 👌🏽 pic.twitter.com/NlolriVm0o
— oN-Ex (@oNExtcy) December 19, 2017
After the backlash, Wofford and Folsom published an apology on KRON's site Monday evening.
Wofford said he intended the remarks to be funny, but he noted “insinuating a person is drunk or on drugs is nothing to joke about.”
“Dozens of Diddy’s Twitter followers have accused me of playing on racial stereotypes,” Wofford, who is black, continued. “That was not my goal. But I understand my comments had that impact and for that I sincerely apologize.”
While Folsom apologized for “entertaining his comments,” he added she should not be blamed for the incident.
Take a look at the full apology below.
» RELATED: Sean 'Diddy' Combs through the years
About the Author
Najja Parker is a multimedia journalist covering Black culture for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is an engaging on-air talent, who has served as a host for the newsroom’s special projects and events, such as the movie premiere of “The South Got Something To Say,” a documentary chronicling the rise of Atlanta hip-hop.
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