Buffalo, New York-based radio host Rob Lederman was fired and his two of his co-hosts Rich ‘The Bull’ Gaenzler and Chris Klein are currently suspended after Lederman compared the skin tones of famous Black women to numbered toaster settings.
Academy Award-winning actress Halle Barry, who was among the celebrity Black women mentioned by the 97 Rock Morning Bull DJ during the podcast on Wednesday, has since taken to Twitter in response.
‘Disgusting. It’s ridiculous this type of nonsense is still being broadcasted across airwaves,’ Berry, 54, began in Friday’s tweet.
‘ALL Black women are beautiful and worthy, Rob Lederman. GTFOH (get the f**** out of here).
‘Disgusting’: Halle Berry, 54, slammed Morning Bull radio DJ Rob Lederman’s on-air conversation with his co-host where he compared the skin tones of famous Black women to numbered toaster settings, calling the comments ‘disgusting’ in a tweet
The chatter about Lederman’s desired toaster settings when it comes to female skin tone appeared to gain traction on social media and the internet after EPSN reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques posted a 45-second audio clip on Twitter.
In it, Lederman can be heard saying, ‘I may get into trouble for this,’ before going on to mention Berry, tennis superstar Serena Williams, and journalist and Oprah Winfrey BFF, Gayle King.
‘I have them to the attractiveness of women that I find to be attractive,’ which elicited some subtle laughter in the background.
‘So I will never go to a Serena Williams level, but I am very comfortable with — I am very comfortable at a Halle Berry level.’ The voice of Rich ‘Bull’ Gaenzler can then be heard saying, ‘K’, according to Too Fab.
‘I like a little bit of a mulatto still coming through, it can’t be… ,’ Lederman continued, using an offensive and out-of-date term for mixed race people.
‘It’s ridiculous’: The Academy Award-winning actress expressed her dismay that there is still ‘this type of nonsense being broadcasted’ in her tweet
Shoulda listened to yourself: Lederman prefaced his controversial comments with ‘I may get into trouble for this’
He was then interrupted by his female co-host Chris Klein.
‘Is Gayle King not your realm?’ Klein chimed in, which Lederman quickly shot back: ‘Gayle King is not even on my toaster level.’
Lederman was fired and both Gaenzler and Klein were suspended following the on-air conversation, The New York Post reported.
The following day, as the fallout began to mount, Lederman created a Twitter account and shared an apology letter where he began by calling his comments ‘foolish and ignorant.’
‘After listening to what I said, and how it must have sounded to others, I was horrified. I 100% understand why people are justifiably angry,’ he wrote.
Regretful learning moment: The radio DJ, who has since been fired, called his comments ‘foolish and ignorant’ in an apology letter he shared on Twitter on Thursday
Fallout: Rich ‘The Bull’ Gaenzler (left) was suspended, along with fellow co-host Chris Klein, from The Morning Bull. He has since been fired from his jobs as arena host for the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bandits, and as public address announcer at the University at Buffalo
‘I made a mistake and it’s hard to look at myself in the mirror, but I want to acknowledge it. I apology from the deepest depths of who I am.’
Lederman went on to say he has reached out to the NAACP, his friends in the clergy from the African American community and the Mayor’s office to seek guidance and teaching.
‘Please know my comments were ignorant, but not meant to be hurtful, but I know I, as well as many others, need to learn from this.’
He ended by vowing to make every effort to use what I am learning as a platform to better understand and hopefully help others, while helping myself.’
In his apology, Lederman said, ‘Please know my comments were ignorant, but not meant to be hurtful, but I know I, as well as many others, need to learn from this’
In a statement to People, Cumulus Media confirmed Lederman was ‘terminated’ shortly after the conversation in question.
‘CUMULUS MEDIA operates from a clearly-defined set of programming principles and there is no question that Rob Lederman’s comments made on The Morning Bull Show are in direct violation of those principles.’ it read, adding, ‘We swiftly terminated him and suspended the remainder of the show’s on-air talent. We apologize, and deeply regret the incident.’
On Friday, 97 Rock’s DJ Jickster read an on-air apology Friday morning that acknowledged the ‘reckless, racist words were spoken on our air’, while pledging to ‘redouble our efforts to fight ignorance and racism in our community.’
While Gaenzler was suspended from his co-hosting spot on The Morning Bull Show, Pegula Sports & Entertainment has since terminated him from his role as the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bandits’ arena host, and of his duties as public address announcer at the University at Buffalo.
Making use for the good: Berry often uses her social media platforms to promote fitness and health routines that help her maintain a youthful vigor both inside and out