Listen Live
Rickey Smiley Morning Show Featured Video
CLOSE
2016 American Black Film Festival Awards Gala - Arrivals

Source: Leon Bennett / Getty

LisaRaye is under fire this weekend after defending a radio host who compared Black women’s skin tones to different shades of toast. During a recent episode of FoxSoul’s “Cocktails With Queens”, LisaRaye alongside co-hosts Claudia Jordan, Vivica A. Fox, and Syleena Johnson were discussing an incident where former “The Morning Bull Show” podcast host, Rob Lederman, made colorist comments that involved notable Black women and toast shades. Lederman, who is white, shared his dating preferences with his fellow white co-hosts on the show last week, comparing the skin tones of prominent Black women to different toaster settings. He even went as far as to say that he would “never go to a Serena Williams level, but I’m very comfortable at a Halle Berry level,” later adding, “I need a little bit of mulatto still coming through.”

The “Queens” conversation began with Claudia Jordan explaining how Halle Berry spoke out about the colorist remarks, tweeting an excerpt from Lederman’s podcast while expressing her disdain for what was said. “Disgusting. It’s ridiculous this type of nonsense is still being broadcasted across airwaves,” Halle said on Twitter. “ALL Black women are beautiful and worthy, Rob Lederman. GTFOH.”

 

 

Lederman’s comments offended most of the women on the “Queens” panel, especially Syleena Johnson who immediately said, “he ain’t sh-t. Because guess what, Serena’s whole white husband who is a billionaire, b*tch. He did go down to the Serena Williams level,” as soon as the soundbite ended. I know that’s right!

LisaRaye, however, was quite understanding of the obscene comments, pushing back during the discussion to defend the colorist statements. “Wait a minute. What I heard was an opinion,” she said. “I heard that he’s saying that he won’t go as far as a dark-skinned Black woman. He’s comfortable with going with the color of a Halle Berry. What’s wrong with that?”

That’s when Syleena Johnson jumped back in, trying to explain to LisaRaye how many Black women would find those remarks disgusting, racist, and offensive.  “He said I like ‘em more mulatto. That’s what this man said,” Syleena said. “To me, that is colorism and discriminatory. That’s a fool.” Go off, Syleena!

In spite of Syleena’s attempt to explain the offensive nature of the comments to LisaRaye, she stood by stance, stating they were only given a small portion of the conversation and that he was just expressing what type of women he was into.

While the discussion continued with the panel seemingly just trying to have an interesting conversation about the topic, social media wasn’t as open to the conversation as many took to Twitter to call for an end to the FoxSoul show altogether. “Abolish @foxsoultv quickly,” one user tweeted.

While another one called out LisaRaye directly, tweeting, “I want Lisa Raye to stop talking she always misses the mark.”

And yet another user speficially touched on the fact that LisaRaye actually defended the colorist remarks, tweeting, “Lisa Raye really said it was a preference for a WHITE man to say he wouldn’t go to a Serena Williams level but would be ok with a Halle Berry”

LisaRaye hasn’t said anything since the clip aired, which is probably for the best, as there’s really no way to defend the offensive remarks. We can only hope the backlash is a teachable moment for the actress and that she comes to learn that Black women of all shades are beautiful, period.

Don’t miss…

LisaRaye McCoy Reflects On Her Bangin’ ‘Player’s Club’ Physique: I Asked Ice Cube For A Trainer

LisaRaye Goes Off On Nicole Murphy: “I Don’t Know If She’s A Home Wrecker, But She Is Wrecking It”

LisaRaye Trending After Defending A Radio Host’s Colorist Comments Comparing Black Women’s Skin Tones To Different Shades Of Toast  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com