Alex Housden, a morning anchor for Oklahoma City’s ABC affiliate KOCO-TV, was forced to offer a tearful apology. She compared her African American co-anchor Jason Hackett to a gorilla during a live broadcast.
The incident occurred at the end of the morning show on Thursday. The first segment included a story about a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The lighthearted report featured a video that showed the gorilla named Fin interacting with a camera.
Both anchors were joking about the gorilla’s adorable antics when, at the end of the report, Housden said the gorilla resembled her co-anchor.
“He kinda looks like you,” she said.
Hackett might have been taken aback at first, but after a pause, he said, “He kinda does, actually, yeah,” as per Kansas City Star.
The cringe-worthy moment sparked a major uproar on social media. Hundreds of angry Facebook and Twitter users shared clips of the moment. Many also posted angry comments to Housden’s official KOCO-TV Facebook page, while others called for the network to fire the TV host.
Fire Alex Housden. https://t.co/wsfv0WBgun
— Michael Younger (@the1myounger) August 27, 2019
@Woldcnews
Please ask Dr. Fox about the incident at at KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City on Friday, where a white female news anchor and Black male news anchor had an on air exchange, where she said a gorilla featured in a news story looked like him.— Visionthought19 (@visionthought19) August 27, 2019
Oklahoma City’s KOCO-TV, morning anchor Alex Housden is pic.twitter.com/4BqMsMa8BX
— Tlacuilo (@ManeRok) August 27, 2019
@KOCOAlex #FireAlexHousden if she can compare a African American fellow anchor to a gorilla in 2019… she should be FIRED…. https://t.co/ua56X9mPgT
— Bishop Stevie M Burks (@BurksStevie) August 27, 2019
Imagine coming into work and your co-worker tells you that you look like an ape on National TV SMH….I can't make this up! @alexhousden_ should be ashamed of herself for that remark. @koconews obviously felt it was ok bc she's back on air…wow! pic.twitter.com/Q7JLQxU97v
— El Crumb (@Coppinalltheyzy) August 27, 2019
Housden apologizes
Housden appeared the next on the station’s morning show with Hackett to address the incident. She offered a tearful apology, saying that Hackett was one of her best friends. She said she hadn’t intended to hurt him or anyone else with her words.
After accepting her apology, Hackett said that he and Housden were friends. However, Hackett also said that he was hurt when she said he resembled the gorilla. He added that the incident provided a teaching opportunity and that people need to consider their words carefully.
Viewers reacted
Many viewers ended up divided concerning Housden’s apology. Some accepted her apology as genuine and sincere, saying she hadn’t meant any harm. Others claimed her apology was insincere and that she knew what she was doing when comparing her black colleague to a gorilla.
Lame apology from ALEX HOUSDEN AFTER SAYING JASON HACKETT LOOKS LIKE A GORILLA!! SAID IT ON THE AIR! This news station is running a FAKE PROMO COMMERCIAL, talking about how they are DIVERSED AND INCLUSIVE!! UNBELIEVABLE! JOIN ME IN DEMANDING THIS RACIST BE FIRED!! pic.twitter.com/Bm66hslGCC
— Yvette Thomas (@YvetteT14439725) August 25, 2019
HEY FOLKS! KOCO 5. HAS ALLOWED ALEX HOUSDEN BACK ON TV. I PHONED MANAGEMENT. THEY SAID IT WAS THEIR DECISION TO ALLOW HER TO KEEP HER JOB! If you do not agree with this decision. Please call (405)478-3000. And demand her removal! THANKS!
— Yvette Thomas (@YvetteT14439725) August 26, 2019
An apology doesnt cut it. A morning TV anchor in Oklahoma apologized a day after likening her black cohost to a gorilla.
Alex Housden said a gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo "kind of looks like you" to her colleague, Jason Hackett on KOCO-TV https://t.co/Pr5oB5fvoI— barry #VetsAgainstTrump (@chillybt) August 27, 2019
NO PASS FOR RACISTS! THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT BLACK PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AND DIGNITY ARE TO ME! HELL NO!
— Yvette Thomas (@YvetteT14439725) August 26, 2019
@koconews It is shameful that you would give a pass to @alexhousden_ and keep her on the air after comparing a black colleague to an ape ? in 2019. Jason Hackett could be okay with being put in a position to put out the fire by accepting her BS apology but AmeriKKKa knows better
— R.Fernandez-Andrew (@BIGMU91) August 27, 2019
Who is Alex Housden?
Alex Housden is a Texas native. According to her bio page on KOCO-TV’s website, she attended the University of North Texas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism with a minor in political science.
Alex Housden worked as an evening anchor at ABC affiliated KTEN-TV in Sherman, Texas. She covered southern Oklahoma while she worked as an evening anchor at KTEN. She joined KOCO-TV in June 2017 and works as a weekend morning anchor.