A top publicist is speaking out after she claims a guest insulted her, then called her the N-word as he was booted from an event.
Tayo Otiti said the row began last Friday when she blocked reality show actor Fabian Basabe, who was featured in E!’s “Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive,” from entering artist Mickalene Thomas‘ show at the Bass Museum during the annual Art Basel festival in Miami.
Tayo Otiti (left) says actor Fabian Basabe (right) went on a tirade and used a slur against her after he was booted from an art event in Miami on Dec. 6. (Photos: Mike Windle / Getty Images; Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
“The room is at capacity … People have to leave for me to let people in,” Otiti told Page Six about her interaction with Basabe, noting ’80s pop star Jody Watley was performing at the event.
Undeterred, Basabe pulled a few strings to get a museum official to escort him in, only to wind up “pissing off a bunch of people” at the event. That’s when all hell broke loose.
“When he’s leaving, he starts screaming at the top of his lungs, ‘peasant,’ ‘whore,’ ‘bitch’ at me,” she recalled, adding, “When he’s 50 yards away, he screams, ‘F–k you [N-word] bitch.’ ”
Otiti took to Instagram following the incident, describing how the “racist garbage” of a guest dubbed her a “n—-r peasant b—h” and “whore,” among other insults.
Basabe has denied the allegations, however, telling Page Six he never referred to Otiti using a slur. He admits to dissing the publicist on his way out, but said there was no argument between them whatsoever.
“In passing, I said, ‘nice try, peasant.’ I 100 percent said it and will apologize for it,” he explained. “But she’s using the N-word and whore to rally support … It’s deeply upsetting and not true for her to use these trigger words.”
“There aren’t two sides to this,” Basabe added, saying he phoned a museum board member to gain entry to the event and “avoid drama.” However, a security guard working the event said he heard the actor shout the slur “clear as a bell.”
Still, Basabe insisted there was no way he could be racist, considering his friendships with notable celebs of color.
“I just had in my home, Cuba Gooding Jr. . … praying with my kid! I just had George Foreman in my home just this past week,” he said. “It’s truly unfair.”
