Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentTelevisionTV

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Producers ‘Regret’ Apparent Slave Imagery In Episode, Vow to Replace Going Forward

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

The controversial imagery can be clearly seen behind longtime “Wheel of Fortune” hosts Vanna White (left) and Pat Sajak. (Sony screenshot)

After controversy erupted over the background video of what appeared to be slaves on a recently re-aired episode of “Wheel of Fortune,” producers have vowed to change it on re-runs.

“We regret the use of this background image, and we will be replacing it moving forward on any re-broadcast,” executive producer Harry Friedman said Monday a statement released to various news outlets.

The imagery at issue depicts Black people who seem to be dressed as slaves standing outside a plantation house, which rolled behind longtime “Wheel” hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White during a “Southern Charm” week episode. The show originally aired in March, according to New York Daily News, but went viral when it re-ran Thursday, June 15.

A representative for the 42-year-old game show told NYDN the footage was shot on location at Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, La., in 2005. But Hillary Loeber, a spokesperson for the plantation, denied the venue hires actors to play slaves. She said it employs tour guides of all races who wear period clothing such as the Annabelle-style hoop skirts shown in the “Wheel” footage.

In light of the explanation, one person didn’t feel there was anything wrong to begin with.

Many viewers initially were outraged by the slave depiction.

https://twitter.com/teaandmagnolias/status/875514459598532613

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top