Los Angeles Times
MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry offered an apology to former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Twitter on Tuesday for comments she made about Romney’s adopted grandchild on her show on Sunday.
During a segment on her self-titled show, Harris-Perry posted a photo of the extended Romney family, including newly adopted infant Kieran James Romney, who happens to be the only black person in the photo. She asked her panel of guests, including actress Pia Glenn and comedian Dean Obeidallah to come up with captions for the photo.
The panel made a series of jokes, all based around the fact that there was a single black baby in the photo. Harris-Perry speculated about a wedding between Romney’s grandson and North West, the daughter of singer Kanye West and reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
On Tuesday, Harris-Perry issued an apology in a series of tweets, writing: “I am sorry. Without reservation or qualification. I apologize to the Romney family. I work by guiding principle that those who offend do not have the right to tell those they hurt that they r wrong for hurting. Therefore, while I meant no offense, I want to immediately apologize to the Romney family for hurting them. As black child born into large white Mormon family I feel familiarity w/ Romney family pic &never meant to suggest otherwise. I apologize to all families built on loving transracial adoptions who feel I degraded their lives or choices.”
Glenn also apologized, writing: “I can say all day what I ‘meant’, but my intentions do not negate the very real pain I have caused. I sincerely apologize.”
Obedidallah also gave his apologies to CNN.
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