A news anchor for cable channel MSNBC is coming under fire on Twitter for what appeared to be a slip of the tongue that sounded like a racial slur.
Alison Morris was anchoring the cable network’s coverage of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant on Sunday afternoon when she stumbled upon the name of the late basketball legend’s former NBA team, the Lakers.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed when his private helicopter crashed in the hills of Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning.
While paying tribute to Bryant, Morris said he was ‘perfectly cast on the Los Angeles n*****s.’
A news anchor for MSNBC has come under fire on Sunday for uttering what sounded like a racial slur during the network’s coverage of the death of retired Lakers star Kobe Bryant
While paying tribute to Bryant, the anchor, Alison Morris (seen in the above undated stock image), said he was ‘perfectly cast on the Los Angeles n*****s’
‘Earlier today, while reporting on the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s passing, I unfortunately stuttered on air, combining the names of the Knicks and the Lakers to say “Nakers”,’ Morris tweeted on Sunday
On Twitter, viewers called out Morris for uttering the dreaded racial slur.
But Morris later took to Twitter and denied that she said the N-word.
‘Earlier today, while reporting on the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s passing, I unfortunately stuttered on air, combining the names of the Knicks and the Lakers to say “Nakers”,’ Morris tweeted on Sunday.
‘Please know I did not & would NEVER use a racist term.
‘I apologize for the confusion this caused.’
On Twitter, Morris’ apology did not sway those who say she should be punished.
On Twitter, viewers called out Morris for uttering the dreaded racial slur
‘Ma’am you did not say Nakers,’ one Twitter user wrote
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘She KNOWS she said the wrong thing cause after the fact she started talking a mile a minute.. Smh.’
‘Ma’am you did not say Nakers,’ one Twitter user wrote.
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘She KNOWS she said the wrong thing cause after the fact she started talking a mile a minute.. Smh.’
‘She needs to be fired immediately,’ wrote another Twitter user.
Others, however, said it sounded like Morris made an innocent mistake.
‘I heard Knickers,’ tweeted another Twitter user.
‘Considering she’s based in New York, she was likely thinking Knicks, and caught it right after she said it.’
Others, however, said it sounded like Morris made an innocent mistake
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘It sounds like Nickers to me.’
‘I heard Knickers,’ tweeted another Twitter user. ‘Considering she’s based in New York, she was likely thinking Knicks, and caught it right after she said it.’
Another Twitter user defended Morris, tweeting: ‘She probably felt really bad, knowing how it sounded when that wasn’t her intent. This assumption is so hateful.’
One conservative Twitter user said MSNBC was now a target of the ‘cancel culture’ that he said it has played a role in creating
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘It sounds like Nickers to me.’
‘It was Knickers. Quit being ridiculous,’ another Twitter user wrote.
Another Twitter user defended Morris, tweeting: ‘She probably felt really bad, knowing how it sounded when that wasn’t her intent. This assumption is so hateful.’
Wrote another Twitter user: ‘LIVE broadcasts are not easy. Especially after stumbling!
‘Your mind races just trying to get it together while also doing your job with people watching AND JUDGING.’
One conservative Twitter user said MSNBC was now a target of the ‘cancel culture’ that he said it has played a role in creating.
‘MSNBC has helped create the Cancel Culture we’re living in, which has no regard for facts, or reasonable explanations, so I can’t say I feel sorry for you now that the mob is coming for you!’ tweeted Mark Dice.
‘Hows it feel to get a dose of your own medicine?’
DailyMail.com has reached out to MSNBC for comment.