Piers Morgan marked his Good Morning Britain return with an explosive row with trans model Munroe Bergdorf.
Morgan made his return alongside Susanna Reid following a summer break and announced he was also nursing three fractured ribs.
Good Morning Britain
✔@GMB
ON NOW: L’Oreal’s first transgender model Munroe Bergdorf defends her comments saying ‘all white people are racist’
Last week model Bergdorf made headlines when she called on people to boycott L’Oreal Paris after the cosmetics giant sacked her over a Facebook post about the racism of white people.
Bergdorf became the first trans woman to appear in a L’Oreal Paris UK campaign when she was cast as part of a diversity initiative.
Morgan, 52, took her to task about her Facebook comment that “all white people” are racist.
He said: “I’m not sexist, I’m not racist, I’m not a homophobe so who are you, with the greatest respect, who are you to say that every straight white guy…”
Bergdorf interrupted, saying: “I did not say that…”
Morgan interjected: “Well you did… you are calling straight, white guys like me a series of offensive stereotypical labels which I find very offensive.”
The pair continued to argue with Morgan later protesting that the model’s comments were “a load of rubbish”.
Asked at the beginning of the discussion by Reid whether she thought all “white people are racist”, she explained: “I don’t think that all white people are by nature racist, from conception to birth I think that we are all the same, but we need to speak about how we’re socialised as people and my post was based on socialisation and racism as a structure.
“I think as society we’re taught certain things, we’re taught that men are superior to women, we’re taught that women are meant to be submissive, we’re taught that gay people are meant to be ashamed of their sexuality but it doesn’t mean that this is how things need to be.”
Just days after her L’Oreal role was revealed she was dropped by the brand over a post responding to the violence of white supremacists in Charlottesville in which she said: “Honestly I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people.
“Because most of ya’ll don’t even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour. Your entire existence is drenched in racism. From micro-aggressions to terrorism, you guys built the blueprint for this s***.
“Come see me when you realise that racism isn’t learned, it’s inherited and consciously or unconsciously passed down through privilege.
“Once white people begin to admit that their race is the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth… then we can talk.”
L’Oreal announced they were sacking the model, writing on Twitter: “L’Oreal champions diversity. Comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with our values and so we have decided to end our partnership with her.”
L’Oréal champions diversity. Comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with our values and so we have decided to end our partnership with her.
Bergdorf responded on Facebook writing: “This ‘rant’ was a direct response to the violence of WHITE SUPREMACISTS in Charlottesville. It was not written this week.
“Secondly, identifying that the success of the British Empire has been at the expense of the people of colour, is not something that should offend ANYONE. It is a fact. It happened.
“Slavery and colonialism, at the hands of white supremacy, played a huge part in shaping the United Kingdom and much of the west, into the super power that it is today.”
She continued: “When a transgender woman of colour, who has been selected to front up a big brand campaign to combat discrimination and lack of diversity in the beauty industry, speaks on her actual lived experience of being discriminated against because of her race and identifies the root of where that discrimination lies – white supremacy and systemic racism – that big brand cannot simply state that her thoughts are not “in line with the ethics of the brand”.
“If you truly want equality and diversity, you need to actively work to dismantle the source of what created this discrimination and division in the first place.”
In a later post, she added: “Sit still and smile in a beauty campaign ‘championing diversity’. But don’t actually speak about the fact that lack of diversity and is due to racism. Or speak about the origins of racism. It’ll cost you your job”.
“This makeup brand cares about nothing but MONEY. I urge you to boycot L’Oréal Paris. I can’t express how disappointed I am in the entire team in dealing with misquotes that were entirely placed out of context.”
On Sunday Bergdorf posted a message on Twitter thanking her fans and supporters, writing: “Things are really tough right now. But I promise I will use whatever platform I have to say whatever needs to be said.”
Her previous Facebook account with all of the messages on is no longer in use and she announced she has set up a new profile page on the social media site.
L’Oreal has been contacted for further comment.
Yahoo.co.uk
