Potty Mouth: Kelly Osbourne Apologizes for Comments About Latinos Cleaning Toilets
Kelly Osbourne has apologized after she attempted to call out Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on the Aug. 4 episode of The View for his statements about Mexican immigrants, asking on air, “If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is going to be cleaning your toilet, Donald Trump?”
“No, that’s not … no,” View co-host Rosie Perez countered. “There’s more jobs than that in the country for Latinos, and Latinos are not the only people who clean toilets.”
Co-host Michelle Collins attempted to clarify Osbourne’s presumed sentiment. “I think what you’re trying to say is that Trump probably relies on the people he’s insulting,” she interjected.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with cleaning for a living; one survey conducted by the Soap and Detergent Association found that 97% of respondents believe their families appreciate having a clean home. But Osbourne’s tone-deaf remarks drew particular scrutiny because she had been trying to highlight the racism underlying Trump’s assertion, in his campaign announcement speech, that people crossing the border from Mexico are rapists and criminals.
The incident was also soon being compared to a comment made by Osbourne’s former Fashion Police co-host Guiliana Rancic — from whom Osbourne distanced herself after Rancic made a comment about teen star Zendaya Coleman’s dreadlocks.
Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Enrique Hernandez was among many criticizing Osbourne’s gaffe on Twitter. “Heading to the stadium early so that I can clean the toilets in the clubhouse! Right? @KellyOsbourne,” he tweeted. Others called her a hypocrite, asserting that her comments were far worse than Rancic’s.
By later in the day, Osbourne had already issued an (expletive-laced) apology for her “poor choice of words” via her Facebook page, saying that although she isn’t racist and therefore can’t apologize for any perceived racism, she had misspoken. “I whole-hearted f—ed up today. I don’t want to bulls–t anyone with lame excuses,” she wrote. “Although, I was stopped mid-sentence by Rosie and couldn’t finish my point I will not let Rosie take responsibility for my words. I should have known better as I was on The View and it was live. … It is my hope that this situation will open up a conversation about immigration and the Latin community as a whole.”
At the end of her statement, she added, “By the way I clean my own f—ing toilets.”