Reality star Jennie Nguyen has officially been booted from Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” due to “offensive social media posts” and other controversial sentiments from 2020 about protests against alleged racially biased policing. Bravo announced the news of her firing Tuesday.
“Bravo has ceased filming with Jennie Nguyen and she will no longer be a cast member on ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,’” the statement read.
“We recognize we failed to take appropriate action once her offensive social media posts were brought to our attention. Moving forward, we will work to improve our processes to ensure we make better informed and more thoughtful casting decisions.”
The controversy exploded after an unearthed collection of Facebook posts were brought to light, sparking backlash. The reality star had shared a series of memes and comments during the summer of 2020 at the height of protests related to the murder of George Floyd while in police custody, Page Six reported.
One post the 44-year-old former “RHSLC” star shared said, “I’m sick of people saying cops need more training. You had 18 years to teach your kids it’s wrong to loot, steal, set buildings a blaze, block traffic, laser people’s eyes, overturn cars, destroy buildings and attack citizens. Who failed who?”
Another said: “Hundreds of blacks shot and many killed (including children) by other blacks every week. Over a thousand Officers violently injured, some permanently, by rioters. Anarchists rioting in major cities every night, which has caused billions of dollars of destruction to private and public property. And you still think Police Officers are the problem. You are an idiot.”
Nguyen allegedly also shared a meme that included the caption, “If you follow the officers [sic] orders, you won’t get shot.” At separate points, she also shared items which included phrases such as “BLM Thugs” and “violent gangs.”
The reality star’s Bravo co-workers were horrified by the posts and spoke out publicly condemning them. “Watch What Happens Live” host and “RHSLC” executive producer Andy Cohen said he found the posts “upsetting” and “disgusting.”
Nguyen’s “Housewives” co-stars reacted in a similar manner. Page Six reported that Meredith Marks said she was “sickened.” Whitney Rose relayed that she was “shocked and saddened,” while Heather Gay used the word “disappointed” to describe how she was feeling.
Nguyen shared a public apology on her Instagram and expressed regret for everything she had said.
“I want to acknowledge and apologize for my deleted Facebook posts from 2020 that resurfaced today,” the Bravo star wrote. “At the time, I thought I was speaking out against violence, but I have since learned how offensive and hurtful my words were.”
She went on to say she deactivated her Facebook account and seeks to “learn about perspectives different from my own.”
Meanwhile, Nguyen recently accused her “Housewives” co-star Mary M. Cosby of racist comments for telling Nguyen, who is a Vietnamese American, that she has “nice slanted eyes.” Nguyen confronted Cosby with the support of fellow co-stars, but Cosby did not back down.
Instead, Cosby insisted her compliment was “genuine” and said she would “never” apologize to Nguyen.