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Bill O’Reilly Apologizes for Classless ‘Joke’ Comparing Maxine Waters’ Hair to James Brown’s

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Bill O’Reilly has apologized for making a disrespectful joke about longtime U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters in which he called her hair a “James Brown wig.”

“As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs,” O’Reilly said in a statement. “I said that again today on ‘Fox & Friends’ calling her ‘old school.’ Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair which was dumb. I apologize.”

O’Reilly’s snide remark drew fierce reactions from Twitter as he ignored Water’s remarks on how Black Americans are, in many ways, more patriotic than Trump supporters.

Waters said during a House speech Monday, March 27, that even though Black people have been discriminated against, “We stand up for America often times when others who think they are more patriotic — who say they are more patriotic — do not.

“We’re saying to those who say they’re patriotic, but they’ve turned a blind eye to the destruction that [Trump’s] about to cause this country, ‘You’re not nearly as patriotic as we are,'” the 78-year-old added.

In a segment on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday, March 28, O’Reilly admitted he wasn’t listening to Waters’ speech.

“I didn’t hear a word she said,” he said to the show’s laughing co-hosts. “I was looking at the James Brown wig.”

Co-host Ainsley Earhardt stepped in to back Waters by saying, “You can’t go after a woman’s looks. I think she’s very attractive.”

O’Reilly later applauded Waters for saying what she believes. “She’s not a phony, and that’s old school,” he said.

Waters’ office declined to comment on the matter.

Twitter users didn’t find the remark comparing Waters’ hair to that of James Brown, who died in 2006, humorous.

https://twitter.com/britrbennett/status/846796330265567232

https://twitter.com/EricaJoy/status/846743968045907968

https://twitter.com/SoloExMachina/status/846751233000062977

https://twitter.com/lukeoneil47/status/846740739107311617

Some users called for Fox to terminate O’Reilly.

Others defended O’Reilly’s comment, largely pointing fingers at jesters who made fun of Trump’s hair.

https://twitter.com/TrumpUSA__/status/846796347692933120

https://twitter.com/2GunRock/status/846784749263818752

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