Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis addressed the controversial monkey emoji she sent to a Black South Carolina radio host on the latest episode of the Bravo series.
The scandal erupted over the springtime, when Charleston radio host Tamika Gadsden tweeted her dismay over a Trump parade party hosted by a friend of Kathryn, prompting the reality star to bombard her with private messages including the monkey emoji.
In a phone conversation with costar Madison LeCroy, Kathryn admitted she had been feeling ‘super depressed’ in the weeks following the incident.
‘I’ve been super depressed’: Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis addressed the controversial monkey emoji she sent to a Black South Carolina radio host on the latest episode of the Bravo series
‘Honestly I’ve been super depressed the past few weeks with everything that happened with the Instagram emoji,’ Kathryn said.
‘It was genuinely a mistake and had nothing to do with race, politics, nothing,’ she added.
In a confessional, Kathryn recalled the events leading up to her interaction with Tamika, and insisted she was simply trying to stand up for her friend.
‘My friend was having a Trump Parade Party and I’m not f**king political, I’m not into Trump, I’m not into anyone, but they were bullying her like, this woman was bashing my friend Katie. So I started responding. I don’t even remember what I said, but I do know the monkey emoji ended up coming up.’
‘It was genuinely a mistake’: Dennis reflected on the controversy during a phone call with costar Madison LeCroy
‘I just kind of shut down’: Kathryn was met with a wave of backlash after the incident, prompting her to retreat into her ‘bubble’
‘I don’t even remember what I said’: In a confessional, Kathryn recalled the events leading up to her interaction with Tamika, and insisted she was simply trying to stand up for her friend
‘She kept hearting every message I sent, just being an a**hole. I was like, “That’s how serious I take this” with the monkey emoji, which I picture going like this,’ Kathryn explained, striking a pose similar to that of the monkey emoji.
‘Because it looks funny. It’s awkward, and that’s my sense of humor. And now I’m f**king apparently racist,’ she said.
Kathryn later publicly apologized to Tamika over the exchange, however the radio host declined to accept.
Kathryn was met with a wave of backlash afterwards, prompting her to retreat into her ‘bubble.’
‘I picture going like this’: Kathryn explained, striking a pose similar to that of the monkey emoji.
No excuses: Madison Simon, who fired Kathryn as a brand ambassador for her clothing boutique Gwynn’s in light of the monkey emoji scandal, reflected on Kathryn’s controversial history over lunch with her costars
Weighing in: The women grabbed lunch after attending a demonstration discussing the removal of a statue of John C. Calhoun, the pro-slavery former vice president who is an ancestor of Kathryn
‘I received so much backlash, so much hate, messages online,’ she told Madison. ‘So I just kind of shut down. I’ve been like bubble girl the last few weeks.’
The scandal did not sit well with many of Kathryn’s costars, who later discussed Kathryn’s problematic behavior over lunch.
The women were reflecting on the scandal and Kathryn’s ambivalence towards a statue of her ancestor, former vice president John C. Calhoun.
Calhoun was pro-slavery, and Kathryn’s middle name is ‘Calhoun’.
Not having it: The scandal did not sit well with many of Kathryn’s costars, who later discussed Kathryn’s problematic behavior
‘Kathryn should definitely be here today,’ Leva Bonaparte said over lunch after the demonstration. ‘To just show up and be like, “I am related to John C. Calhoun, what he did was not okay, and I’m sorry.” That would have been such a testament to, like, we’re moving forward.’
Madison Simon, who fired Kathryn as a brand ambassador for her clothing boutique Gwynn’s in light of the monkey emoji scandal, reflected on Kathryn’s controversial history.
‘I think for Kathryn it goes far beyond that she can’t help who her ancestors are. That is true. However, she’s given opportunities to speak out and to be a better person, and she’s taken a different road at every turn.’
Controversy: Dennis sent Tamika a monkey emoji while hitting out at her over a tweet she sent over her friend’s Trump event
Apologies: Dennis later publicly apologized for the incident
When the DM was brought up, Madison said, ‘Everyone keeps emphasizing this monkey emoji. I think it’s so much more than the monkey emoji. I don’t know if you guys read the entire… She said, “Stop trying to use your minority claim. You’re what’s wrong with Charleston.”‘
‘It’s so much more,’ Madison continued. ‘It’s completely disrespectful, and you do know who you’re talking to. She tried to say she didn’t know who she was talking to when she sent the monkey emoji, but if you’re telling that person to stop using their minority claim, then that’s discredited.
‘We had to make a statement. We fired her because we have to stand for something and it’s very clearly not that,’ Madison continued.
Tamika Gadsden landed at the heart of controversy over the springtime after Kathryn sent her a monkey emoji