Former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien made stunning claims on Saturday that a network exec once told her she could only have the “right kind” of black guests on her show.
Reacting to the controversy that has rocked ABC News over the weekend, O’Brien reflected on her time at CNN and indicated that a network executive discouraged her to sit down with black radio host Roland Martin.
“This is an interesting read. Reminds me of the CNN exec who told me: ‘Roland Martin isn’t the ‘right kind of’ Black person.’ She didn’t want me to book him on my show. L,” O’Brien tweeted.
In a statement to Fox News, ABC News said: “There are deeply disturbing allegations in this story that we need to investigate, and we have placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough and complete investigation. These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace.”
Fedida said through her attorney, “Throughout my career, I have been a champion for increased diversity in network news. Building a news division where everyone can thrive has been my life’s mission. I am proud of my decades of work of hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color. And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable.”
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