A local news anchor in Mississippi has found herself at the center of controversy — and not for the first time, apparently — after quoting one of Snoop Dogg’s famous catchphrases on the air. Barbie Bassett, a longtime news anchor and meteorologist for WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi, has not been seen on TV since March 8. With that, some are speculating that her comment during a story about the release of the rapper’s latest wine has resulted in her parting ways with the station.
It appears NBC affiliate WLBT may have cut ties with Barbie Bassett following the latest on-air incident, the Clarion Ledger reports. During the March 8 broadcast, Bassett, who is white, was commenting on a segment about the Day Shift cast member’s new wine, Snoop Cali Blanc, which is part of his Cali Wine Collection. Speaking to the other anchors, the meteorologist said:
Fo shizzle, my [racial slur].
Not only has Barbie Bassett has been absent from the news since then, but she is no longer listed on WLBT’s website as part of the News or Weather Team. The meteorologist has also been silent on social media since that date and has removed all mentions of the brand from her accounts. The station has made no official statement regarding Bassett’s comment or action taken thereafter and, when the Jackson newspaper reached out for comment, Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry responded:
As I am sure you can understand, WLBT is unable to comment on personnel matters.
The journalist’s absence has drawn attention nationwide, with several offering opinions about Barbie Bassett’s comment and subsequent removal from the broadcast. The topic came up on the radio show The Breakfast Club, where Charlamagne Tha God spoke in defense of Bassett, saying (via the New York Post):
I don’t think she should have been fired for that. She might not even know what ‘[racial slur]’ means, yo. Come on, like stop. That’s not a reason to fire that woman.
However, it turns out this wasn’t the first race-related incident Barbie Bassett has been involved in. Back in October 2022, the meteorologist was reportedly reprimanded after a clip went viral of her referring to a Black colleague’s grandmother as her “grandmammy.” Following that incident, Bassett issued an on-air apology, in which she said:
Last Friday on our newscast ‘Today at 11,’ I used a term that was offensive to many in our audience and to my coworkers here at WLBT. Though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful. I have apologized to Carmen Poe. Now, I would like to apologize to you. That is not the heart of who I am. And for that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness and I apologize to everyone I have offended. I will learn from this and participate in training so I can better understand our history and our people. I can’t mend the hurt my comment caused. I pray you’ll forgive me and that you’ll extend grace through this awful mistake.
Media outlets also reportedly reached out to the D.O. Double G himself for comment, but the jack of all trades does not seem to have responded. He has shared his thoughts on cancel culture in the past, though, at least in terms of what would happen if someone tried to cancel him.
I wouldn’t imagine this incident would be among the many highlights that will be depicted in Snoop Dogg’s upcoming biopic. We’re more likely to get stories about his music being an inspiration and his adorable friendship with Martha Stewart. In the meantime, you can catch the rapper in Day Shift by streaming it with a Netflix subscription, and he also appeared in the remake of House Party, which is available for HBO Max subscription holders.
