After receiving a flood of criticism, Steve Harvey has finally addressed his offensive comments about Asian men.
The daytime TV show host took to Twitter on Tuesday and apologized for a joke he made earlier this month in which he laughed at the idea that anyone could be attracted to Asian men.
“I offer my humblest apology for offending anyone, particularly those in the Asian community, last week,” Harvey wrote in a note. “It was not my intention and the humor was not meant with any malice or disrespect whatsoever.”
Harvey’s apology comes after several members of the Asian-American community spoke out against his distasteful jabs. Big names including Constance Wu and Jose Antonio Vargas condemned the host on social media.
Eddie Huang, a celebrity restaurateur, also penned a powerful opinion piece in The New York Times, explaining exactly why Harvey’s propagation of the harmful stereotype about Asian men stung so much.
And Asian-American lawmakers including Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) and New York assembly members Ron Kim and Yuh-Line Niou, drafted a letter calling for Harvey’s apology. They also asked the host remove all forms of the segment.
“Negative, false, and harmful depictions of Asians have persisted in media and popular culture for decades, and your disrespectful conduct has only worsened this issue,” they wrote in the letter signed by five lawmakers. “Asian-Americans’ numerous accomplishments and contributions have helped shape this nation, and we are not just another target for tasteless jokes on your show.”
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