LeeAnne Locken has issued an apology for the racially insensitive comments she’s made about Mexican people and co-star Kary Brittingham on this season of “The Real Housewives of Dallas.”
“I am deeply sorry to those that I have hurt or offended with some of my comments on Real Housewives of Dallas season 4,” the 52-year-old reality star said in a statement she posted to social media during Wednesday’s episode of the Bravo series. “It was never my intention to hurt anyone and I will use this as a learning experience to be more aware of my comments in the future. My commitment moving forward is to continue my work fighting for equality and acceptance of all humans.”
Public Statement: pic.twitter.com/mgTQR9ibjy
— LeeAnne Locken (@LeeAnneLocken) December 12, 2019
On Wednesday’s episode, while the ladies were in Thailand on their cast trip, Brittingham suggested they all go see a “ping pong show” in Bangkok’s red light district. Locken was against it from the start but went anyway … and Brittingham and Kameron Westcott left, mortified, soon after they arrived.
The others followed shortly after. It was once Locken and Westcott were in the privacy of their hotel room that the former went in on Brittingham, who hails from Guadalajara, Mexico. “Do you have any clue how many sex workers we just looked at?!” Locken shouted at Westcott. “That f–king c–t wants to prove how f–king tough she is ’cause she’s from México!” Locken put on an accent as she said the name of the country.
“I didn’t know what it was,” Westcott maintained, as Locken fired back, “I know, but the little chirpy Mexican has to have her way, and so she drug everyone there. ‘I’m so great! Mexico! I’m from Mexico! I can kick anybody’s ass!'”
In the moment, Westcott didn’t say much, but in a later confessional, she stated, “LeeAnne, you are not allowed to put a noun or a verb in front of nationalities. You cannot do that! But the last thing I’m gonna do is call her on that because she’s not acting like a sane person right now.”
Locken continued to make racially charged remarks throughout the episode, telling Stephanie Hollman what she wanted to say to Brittingham: “Come on, Mexican! I thought you were all Mexican and strong!” Hollman called the comments “disgusting” in a later confessional.
In the promo for the next week’s episode, Brittingham is seen confronting Locken about the comments, asking, “So why [don’t] you f–king own your shit?” Locken simply shrugs. She later tells Westcott, “I didn’t mean Mexican in a derogatory way, or I wouldn’t speak Mexican.”
“I’m 100 percent not okay with you using the word Mexican,” Westcott says in response, as Locken interjects, “I’m not racist. That’s ridiculous because I’m not racist. I’m not gonna own that I’m racist. That’s ridiculous.”
Locken’s later seen shouting at D’Andra Simmons, “That’s your opinion!” as Simmons fires back, “It’s not my opinion! It’s everybody in the f–king country’s opinion, LeeAnne! For God’s sake!”
We’ll also see off-camera producers ask each of the women in their respective confessionals if they believe Locken is racist. “I don’t think she’s racist. I think that she just says really dumb shit,” says Hollman, but Brittingham feels otherwise. “She’s not that_ignorant,” she declares. “I mean, she has to be racist.”
Brandi Redmond, for her part, feels “uncomfortable even answering this,” while Simmons notes, “What you say is who you are.”
“LeeAnne is not a racist. I know she’s not,” Westcott adds. “But I know she did not use her words properly, and she has to fix that.”
After the episode aired, fans accused Westcott of not speaking up during Locken’s controversial rant. She responded on Twitter, writing, “To everyone saying I was complicit and said nothing about the racial comments made in tonights episode … please go back and rewatch the preview for next week before blowing up my twitter??? Where I very clearly am the ONLY one that addresses it!! This is nuts!”
To everyone saying I was complicit and said nothing about the racial comments made in tonights episode… please go back and rewatch the preview for next week before blowing up my twitter??? Where I very clearly am the ONLY one that addresses it!! This is nuts! #RHOD
— 💗 Kameron Westcott 💗 (@KamWestcott) December 12, 2019
Andy Cohen also addressed the issue on Wednesday’s “Watch What Happens Live,” assuring fans that Locken’s remarks were discussed at length during the Season 4 reunion taping, which took place earlier this month.
“On next week’s finale, LeeAnne is finally confronted for her vile, disgusting slurs against Mexicans,” Cohen said as he played a sneak peek of next week’s episode, during which Locken says, “I don’t care that you’re Mexican. I’ve slept with plenty of Mexicans, by the way. Hot f–king lovers, okay? I sat in Julio Iglesias’ lap.”
After noting that Iglesias is actually Spanish, Cohen said he “pointed that out at the reunion for the 90 minutes we talked about this, and you will see all of it, unfortunately.”
When a concerned caller phoned in and asked how he/Bravo could “stand behind” Locken after her “racial slurs,” Cohen replied, “Well, I don’t know if it’s standing behind. We broke down the racial slurs for a very long time at the reunion, and you’ll see all of that. We’re just airing what happened while we were shooting the show, right now.”
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