Terry Bradshaw Apologizes for ‘Offensive Comments’ at Fox Upfront
“Fox NFL Sunday” host Terry Bradshaw has apologized for “offensive comments” he made about actor-comedian Ken Jeong during Fox’s upfront presentation in New York on Monday.
During his appearance at the Beacon Theatre, Bradshaw made mention of having been eliminated from competition on another Fox series, “The Masked Singer,” by “Alan Thicke and the little short guy from Japan.”
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Bradshaw was referring to Jeong’s role as a judge on “Masked Singer.” Jeong is a native of Detroit whose parents were South Korean immigrants.
“I made an insensitive remark today about Ken, who I’ve known for some time,” Bradshaw said in a statement late Monday. “I’ve spoken to him about the importance of cultural respect and apologized for my offensive comments. I would like to also apologize to the Asian-American community for my insensitivity.”
Bradshaw appeared to be speaking off the cuff when he mentioned his stint on “Masked Singer.” He also fumbled the name of another “Masked Singer” judge, musician Robin Thicke, who is the son of the late talk show host Alan Thicke. But the racially charged comment regarding Jeong quickly began to stir outrage in social media. Fox’s upfront presentation to advertisers, media buyers and journalists was also streamed live via Fox’s website.
Jeong was also on hand Monday for Fox’s upfront presentation. He made no mention of Bradshaw’s remark during his brief time on stage to promote “Masked Singer.”
Bradshaw, a Hall of Fame NFL veteran, has been part of the host team for “Fox NFL Sunday” since its inception in 1994.
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