A White news anchor and meteorologist in Mississippi has been off the air for weeks after she used a phrase from rapper Snoop Dogg that references a racial slur.
Jackson-based WLBT anchor Barbie Bassett was last seen on March 8 when she and other broadcasters were discussing Snoop Cali Blanc, the latest addition to Snoop Dogg’s successful wine line, according to Deadline.
The anchors then joked about collaborating with the famous rapper in crosstalk after the news segment ended. Ms. Bassett approved of the notion by saying “Fo shizzle, my nizzle.” The word “nizzle” is slang for the N-word.
Ms. Bassett’s bio has since been removed from the WLBT website, according to the Clarion Ledger. Officials and on-air personalities for the station declined to comment on Ms. Bassett’s employment status when contacted by the newspaper.
News of the apparent firing or suspension was picked up by popular radio show “The Breakfast Club,” with the New York Post reporting that co-host Charlamagne tha God, who is Black, came to Ms. Bassett’s defense.
“She might not even know what ‘nizzle’ means, yo. Come on, like stop. That’s not a reason to fire that woman,” the radio host said.
Ms. Bassett got in trouble last fall for another instance involving racially insensitive comments when she referenced a Black reporter’s “grandmammy” during a broadcast.
The anchor later apologized for the comments, saying in October that “though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful.”
