Wednesday, September 21, 2016

A Racial Slur Haunts 'Real Housewives of Auckland'


Mashable.com:
Lost count of the amount of Real Housewives franchises around the world? So have we.

Yet the Auckland-based version of the franchise in New Zealand is in a tonne of hot water, due to one of its stars being filmed using an awful racial slur, which producers have chosen to include in Tuesday night's episode — albeit bleeped out.

One of the show's stars, Julia Sloane was recorded off-camera using the n-word in reference to another housewife, Michelle Blanchard in episode six of the series. Blanchard is British and of Caribbean descent.

The comment was made during a luxury yacht trip with the housewives, when another housewife Gilda Kirkpatrick asked Blanchard for some help, prompting Sloane to make the comment "she's not your boat n***er," according to the New Zealand Herald.

Sloane has since issued a statement to the New Zealand Herald, in which she said she apologised for the remark.

"While in Port Douglas filming for Real Housewives of Auckland I made an off-camera and off-the cuff inappropriate comment which caused hurt to Michelle," she said. "I wasn't thinking. I made a mistake and I have apologised to Michelle for my remark.

"There is no excuse for using offensive words under any circumstances and I have learned from this foolish mistake. I have put this distressing experience behind me and am moving on."

Sloane's husband, investment banker Michael Lorimer, told the newspaper it was a "tongue-in- cheek boating term" that he and his wife would use occasionally while sailing, and that alcohol might be a factor in why the remark was made. 

They're both trying to get lawyers to amend the episode, saying it's "grossly unfair" on the part of the producers. 

Blanchard told The Spinoff that she's still unhappy about Sloane not owning up to the incident, although explained that she doesn't have a problem with Sloane as they have a "professional working relationship."
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