(NewsReady.com) – Snoop Dogg has gone from a controversial gangster rapper who was once on trial for murder to a cultural icon in the last 30 years. He has also branched out into other areas of business, including creating a wine label. Now, a conversation on a local news network about it seems to have led to an anchor’s firing.
On March 8, Barbie Bassett, a meteorologist and news anchor on Mississippi’s WLBT, discussed a new wine release, Snoop Cali Blanc, from the rapper. When another personality joked about Bassett getting a tattoo of Snoop as Martha Stewart did, the meteorologist, who is white, responded, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle,” quoting one of the rapper’s most popular catchphrases.
According to reports, Bassett has not been seen on air since the conversation and is no longer listed on the network’s website. Whoopi Goldberg actually came to the anchor’s defense on a recent episode of “The View,” essentially slamming cancel culture.
The controversy is allegedly over the true meaning of the phrase. While some people believe it means, “For sure, my friend,” its actual translation is, “For sure, my [n-word].”
PEOPLE contacted WLBT Vice President Ted Fortenberry and asked about Bassett’s absence. He responded that he was “unable to comment on personnel matters.” He said the station was focused on the communities in the Mississippi Delta where tornadoes killed more than 20 and destroyed a town.
The latest incident isn’t the first time Bassett has been in trouble at the station. In 2022, she had to issue an apology after she said “grandmammy” while talking to a black reporter. In her statement, she acknowledged using a term that offended many viewers and coworkers. She called the remarks “insensitive and hurtful” and asked for forgiveness. Bassett said that while she can’t change what she said, she was participating in training to do better in the future.
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