Rodner Figueroa fired for making racist remark against First Lady
3/12/15: Update 7:30 p.m. – Rodner Figueroa issued an open letter of apology to the Michelle Obama which was published in its entirety and which…
Rodner Figueroa participates in Fallen Heroes First Annual Celebrity Softball Game on January 24, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images)
3/12/15: Update 7:30 p.m. –
Rodner Figueroa issued an open letter of apology to the Michelle Obama which was published in its entirety and which you can read here.
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Rodner Figueroa, Univision’s “Sal y Pimienta” TV Host and acclaimed fashion critic, has been fired from the network for making racist remarks against First Lady Michelle Obama during one of his fashion commentaries on another network show.
The news broke Thursday a little before midnight when “People en Español” Editor in Chief Armando Lucas Correa sent out a tweet confirming the mishap: In his comments Rodner compared the first lady to a character from the movie “Planet of the Apes.”
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Prince Royce, Rodner Figueroa and J Balvin attend the 2015 Premios Lo Nuestros Awards at American Airlines Arena on February 19, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images For Univision)
At that moment, there was no other detail, until another entertainment news personality, Javier Ceriani, unveiled more information on Puerto Rico’s ElVocero.com, where he stated that Figueroa compared Mrs. Obama to an ape.
People en Español elaborated on the situation with a statement issued to them by Univision Thursday morning.
“Yesterday, during the airing of the entertainment program ‘El Gordo y La Flaca,’ Rodner Figueroa made comments about First Lady Michelle Obama that were completely reprehensible and in no way reflect the values or opinions of Univision. As a result, Mr. Figueroa was immediately dismissed,” expressed the Spanish-language network.
Besides being a co-host on “Sal y Pimienta,” the Sunday night entertainment show about celebrity chismes, Figueroa, an Emmy Award winner, was a fashion critic –often making his appearance on “El Gordo y La Flaca.”
He was also known for hosting many star-studded red carpets at many awards show, where it was clear he had a great relationship with stars such as Marco Antonio Solis, Laura Pausini, Chiquis Rivera and Marc Anthony.
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At times, however, Figueroa –in fashion police mode– would make harsh comments regarding some of the stars and their looks. So was the case last night, when he decided to target President Obama’s wife.
Rodner Figueroa hasn’t issued any public statements regarding his remark and subsequent firing from Univision.
