“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kathy Hilton is facing serious backlash for not recognizing the difference between pop star Lizzo and actress Gabourey Sidibe, who’s best known for starring in the movie “Precious.”
Hilton’s gaffe happened during a recent episode of “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen. The reality star was playing the game “Will! Kathy! Know Them?” which involved Hilton’s “RHOBH” co-star Crystal Kung Minkoff being asked if she thinks Hilton will recognize specific famous people. If Minkoff says yes, then Hilton is asked to identify them.
Upon encountering a photo of Lizzo, Hilton responded, “I feel like I do? Precious?”
Everyone erupted into laughter as Cohen replied with an emphatic “No” to her guess. Minkoff put her hand on her head in embarrassment then tried to deflect the situation by saying, “She is precious though, Lizzo is precious.”
Hilton also tried to recover. “That’s what I call her! Her nickname’s ‘Precious’ to me.”
Despite the silliness of the situation, social media fans didn’t go so easy on Hilton and even accused her of being racist for mistaking Lizzo for a different plus-sized black woman.
Meanwhile, some people came to the reality star’s defense, pointing out how she guesses incorrectly on that segment all the time. During the same game, Hilton also failed to recognize images of Dwayne Johnson and Justin Timberlake, Fox News reported.
She does mistake people a lot, but saying Precious is something very insidious. It’s not just linking Lizzo to a fat black person solely on her weight, but erasing Gabourey’s identity. It’s very weird. Kathy is really insufferable and says a lot of off white people stuff. https://t.co/Vu8iW3fK7v
— 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐲𝐚𝐰 (@justxhenry) August 11, 2022
“She does mistake people a lot, but saying Precious is something very insidious,” one person shared to Twitter. “It’s not just linking Lizzo to a fat black person solely on her weight, but erasing Gabourey’s identity. It’s very weird. Kathy is really insufferable and says a lot of off white people stuff.”
“That Kathy Hilton clip is messed up and y’all know it is. Lizzo minds her own business but all people do is make her a joke and this time it wasn’t even intentional. This time she caught a stray and I wish someone would’ve stepped up and said something,” media personality Kalen Allen shared.
“When Precious came out, a lot of people used the character’s name as a derogatory label to fuel their fatphobia and to bully. So no, I don’t think that it’s funny that Lizzo, home minding her own business, had to watch herself be called Precious in front of millions on live tv,” he continued in a follow-up.
“Precious isn’t even a real person and Lizzo looks nothing like her … I don’t know what the f** is funny. I expect the heehaw from the 3 glue sticks but the two black men laughing is pissing me off. I’m tired of the misogynoir [sic] & anti-blackness on this f***ing network,” another person replied.
“This is a pretty racist comment but because the fans like Kathy, they’re laughing it off,” another agreed.