The popular co-host of a Boston radio sports program has been suspended after using a fake Asian accent to impersonate the agent of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Station managers suspended Christian Fauria on Friday for five days after what he called a “horrible attempt at humor.” While pretending to speak as Don Yee, Brady’s athletic agent, Fauria had used an accent that many consider to be a racist stereotype of Asians. Yee was born in Sacramento, California.
Fauria, who co-hosts the daily program “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria” that’s broadcast throughout Massachusetts on WEEI-FM, said in a statement that he has reached out to Yee to personally apologize for his racially “insensitive” impersonation.
He also posted an apology on Twitter to both Yee and his audience for the “regrettable” stunt. Fauria, who played tight end for the Patriots from 2002 to 2005, said he “fully” supports management’s decision to discipline him.
It was the second major bumble related to Brady on the sports radio station. Before the Super Bowl, Brady cut short his weekly appearance on the station’s “Kirk and Callahan” program to protest after a host on another program, Alex Reimer, called Brady’s 5-year-old daughter an “annoying little pissant.”
WEEI-FM’s managers issued a statement saying they did not “support or condone” Fauria’s behavior, adding: “We apologize to Mr. Yee and those offended by the segment.”
The station has removed all audio of Fauria’s Yee impersonation from its website.