It seems Kelly Osbourne has learned from her past actions. On Thursday, January 18th, the English television personality and singer opened up about her viral racist remarks about the Latine community in 2015, saying it was “the worst thing” she’s ever done.
During a live episode of The View, after conversing about former President Donald Trump’s then-campaign with her hosts – including Puerto Rican-American actress Rosie Perez – Osbourne said something that would cause a stir on live television. She said: “If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is going to be cleaning your toilets, Donald Trump?” which didn’t sit well with her co-hosts. After saying this on air, she stumbled over her words trying to justify her POV.
Almost ten years later, the video’s sound became a viral meme on TikTok, resurfacing Osbourne’s remarks that she describes as “life-changing, chaotic, and crazy.” In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Osbourne talked about the clip which she now refers as “the most cringe moment of my entire life.”
She said: “It hurt a lot of people, and that to me, is by far makes it the worst thing I’ve ever done. I realized that I’m not great on live TV and that words are so powerful. And to be labeled as something you’re not is really difficult. But it happened. There’s nothing I can do.” After the segment, people called her a racist, which she denied, and then issued a public apology.
“I feel very strongly that Latin American culture is the backbone of America,” she told the media outlet. “I believe that Latin Americans are the hardest-working people you will ever meet.”
When asked why she chose to do the interview she said it was because she’s never talked about it before. “I hope people realize I’m taking responsibility and trying to mend the hurt. But I do deserve a second chance. But at the same time, I can totally see why people won’t and don’t think that.”
Reactions online to the interview were mixed. Some believed she was taking accountability for her words.
And some questioned why the video from The View had to be brought back in the first place.