Embattled Seven News reporter Georgia Love has been pulled from on-air duties and relegated to the production desk just days after posting a ‘racist’ video on Instagram.
The journalist, 33, had sparked backlash on Monday for sharing footage of a cat behind the window of an Asian restaurant and writing: ‘Shop attendant or lunch?!’
She deleted the video an hour later and apologised for causing ‘offence’, but at the time denied the post had any racist ‘insinuation’.
Love also posted a similar ‘joke’ about pets and Chinese restaurants in 2013.
Following a workplace investigation, Seven alerted staff via email on Friday that Love had been ‘counselled’ and reassigned to an off-camera role ‘effective immediately’.
A Seven spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘We have addressed this matter internally and disciplinary action has been taken.
‘Seven does not condone this inappropriate conduct and all of our staff have the right to work in a safe, nurturing workplace free from prejudice.’
Embattled Seven News reporter Georgia Love has been pulled from on-air duties and relegated to the production desk just days after posting a ‘racist’ video on Instagram
Love is understood to be ‘devastated’ and ‘deeply sorry for her actions’, and has personally apologised to her colleagues, reports The Herald Sun.
‘I want to apologise for an inappropriate post on my personal social media account this week and for an old post which has resurfaced,’ Love said in a staff email.
‘I’m deeply sorry for the hurt that I’ve caused and, in particular, for offence to the Asian community. It certainly wasn’t my intention.
‘My posts were inappropriate and offensive. There is no excuse for perpetuating racist stereotypes in any forum.
‘I am committed to moving forward, learning and growing in my new role and I hope that in time I can earn your trust back.’
Following a workplace investigation, Seven alerted staff via email on Friday that Love (pictured with her husband Lee Elliott) had been reassigned to an off-camera role ‘effective immediately’
Love’s apology was forwarded to staff at Seven’s Melbourne newsroom by news director Shaun Menegola, who acknowledged her social media activity had been ‘inappropriate and offensive’.
‘It has been a difficult week for many as a consequence of some inappropriate and offensive posts on a staff member’s private account,’ Mr Menegola wrote.
‘Following a workplace investigation that had to follow due process, I want to let you know that Georgia has been counselled and will be reassigned to the production desk, effective immediately.’
Love has also been dropped as an ambassador for Chadstone Shopping Centre.
A Chadstone spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Friday her contract had been terminated on the day she posted the offensive video.
Dumped: Love (pictured near her home in Melbourne on Thursday) is understood to be ‘devastated’ and ‘deeply sorry for her actions’, and has personally apologised to her colleagues
‘We were disappointed by a social media post this week by one of our friends of the Chadstone brand and, as a result, we issued notice to end our contract with Georgia,’ they said.
‘We always support diversity and welcome a range of customers and retailers every day, without prejudice or discrimination, as we work to ensure our centre is a safe and inclusive place for our community to come together.’
Love’s manager, Sean Anderson at 22 Management, said he was ‘disappointed’ by the retailer’s move but ‘respects’ its decision.
Mr Anderson also said his client had been subjected to ‘trolling’ amid the scandal.
Divisive: The journalist, 33, had sparked backlash on Monday for sharing footage (above) of a cat behind the window of an Asian restaurant and writing: ‘Shop attendant or lunch?!’
‘We are disappointed by Chadstone’s decision to end their relationship with Georgia but we respect their right to do so,’ he said.
‘We are focused on providing as much support as we can to Georgia as the trolls are currently in full flight and intent on inflicting as much damage as they can on her.’
Love, a former Bachelorette who is now a Melbourne-based news reporter for Seven, had posted the ‘offensive’ video on Instagram Stories on Monday.
Love has also been dropped as an ambassador for Chadstone Shopping Centre. A Chadstone spokesperson said on Friday her contract had been terminated on the day she posted the offensive video. Pictured: Love at a ’60 Years of Chadstone’ event in June
The footage showed a cat behind the window of a Chinese restaurant and featured the text: ‘Shop attendant or lunch?!’
She deleted the post and apologised after being called out by ‘influencer watchdog’ Instagram account Aussie Influencer Opinions.
The same account later discovered another of Love’s posts from February 2013 in which she made a similar joke about domestic pets and Asian restaurants.
Love’s 2013 post showed an ‘animal hospital’ next to a restaurant called ‘China Chef’.
Below the photo of the two storefronts was a cartoon image of a dog, alongside the text: ‘That’s suspicious…’
Love captioned it at the time: ‘Best.’
‘We were disappointed by a social media post by one of our friends of the Chadstone brand and, as a result, we issued notice to end our contract with Georgia,’ a Chadstone rep said
Love had previously apologised for her ‘Shop attendant or lunch?!’ video after being called out on Monday, but did not acknowledge it was racist.
‘Earlier I posted a video of a cat in a restaurant window. I meant for this to be a joke about an animal being in a restaurant at lunch service time,’ she said.
‘I meant absolutely no insinuation about the type of animal nor the type of restaurant, but I see that my post did not come across like that and was offensive.
‘I sincerely apologise for the oversight and offence I have caused. Thank you to those who called me out. This is what we need to make sure we are all accountable and do better.
‘Again, I apologise from the bottom of my heart for the offence caused.’
Despite her apology, the backlash to Love’s video was swift.
Love deleted the cat video and apologised (pictured), but her social media activity, including a similar post from 2013, became the subject of an investigation at Seven
Instagram account Aussie Influencer Opinions discovered another of Love’s posts from February 2013 in which she made a similar joke about pets and Asian restaurants
Feminist author Clementine Ford commented on Instagram: ‘It confirms again how low Australia sets the bar for people to be given high-profile jobs in TV media, and just how insular they are allowed to be.’
MasterChef judge Melissa Leong, who is of Chinese-Singaporean descent, also revealed she felt ‘hurt’ and ‘betrayed’ because she knows Love personally.
‘”Shop attendant or lunch?”‘ posted on a video of a cat in a Chinese restaurant by someone I know, who also happens to carry a fair amount of influence,’ Leong wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
‘Casual racism from nice people is possibly the most betraying and insidious kind.’
Despite her apology, the backlash to Love’s video was swift, with feminist author Clementine Ford (left) and MasterChef judge Melissa Leong (right) criticising her online
In the aftermath of the scandal, Love deleted her Twitter account (pictured) and limited comments on her Instagram profile
Melissa admitted she felt ‘bummed’ about the situation, especially as Georgia was also accused of sharing another ‘racist’ Instagram post eight years ago.
‘Not angry, just completely bummed that this video exists and that it isn’t the first joke of this kind made by her,’ she wrote.
‘Georgia, I really hope your remorse is real and that you grow in the right direction, because this stuff hurts more people, more than you think.
‘We must be allies for each other for a better world for all.’
Georgia began her career as a journalist for WIN News (pictured)
Her profile skyrocketed in 2016 when she was cast on Channel 10’s The Bachelorette (pictured on the show with now-husband Lee Elliott)
In the aftermath of the scandal, Love deleted her Twitter account and limited comments on her Instagram profile.
Georgia began her career as a journalist for WIN News before her profile skyrocketed in 2016 when she was cast on Channel 10’s The Bachelorette.
She went on to become a casual reporter for Ten Eyewitness News, later rebranded 10 News First, but was let go due to budget cuts in early 2021.
She announced she’d joined Seven News Melbourne in February.
She went on to become a casual reporter for Ten Eyewitness News, later rebranded 10 News First, but was let go due to budget cuts in early 2021. She joined Seven News in February