Kristi Capel, an anchor for Cleveland’s Fox affiliate, went viral in minutes after using the offensive term “jigaboo” live on air. Now, she’s been taken off the air for the rest of the week.
Back on Monday, during a story about the Oscars on Sunday, Capel referred to Lady Gaga’s usual music as “jigaboo,” while sitting right next to her black co-anchor. Video of the incident circulated the web, forcing Capel to issue apologies on Twitter.
“I do apologize if I offended you, I didn't know the meaning behind it or that it was even a word. Thank you for watching,” Capel wrote to many Twitter users who criticized her. She also tweeted on Monday, “I deeply regret my insensitive comment. I didn't know the meaning and would never intentionally use hurtful language. I sincerely apologize.”
Capel also issued an on-air apology on Tuesday, adding, “I truly did not know the meaning of the word and would never intentionally use such hurtful language.”
On Wednesday, Capel was noticeably absent during the Channel 8 morning broadcast and won’t be back for the rest of the week, either. The Plain Dealer received a statement from the Tribune Media Group, which owns the station, sayign that she will be off the air for the next two days. She will be back on Monday.
In a longer statement, Channel 8 said that Capel met with African-American clergy from Northeast Ohio “to begin the process of reflecting on the gravity of this incident.” The network said that, “Kristi regrets her actions and realizes the impact of her mistake and the hurt she has caused.”
Wayne Dawson, Capel’s co-anchor and a licensed minister, told Capel on air that it is “time to forgive and move on,” adding, “My prayer is that our viewers forgive and move on because she's a good girl. She really, really is.”