After revealing his intentions to purchase the Carolina Panthers over the weekend, Diddy found his name being dragged through the mud by Bay Area reporter KRON-TV’s Henry Wofford on Monday (Dec. 18) during a sports segment called The World According to Darya
The TV reporter insinuated that Puffy wasn’t serious about his announcement, saying that he was high and drunk during his Instagram video.“The guy looks high right there in this video,” Wofford said. “He looks like he smoked a blunt and drank a 40. Come on, I’m not taking him seriously.”
News of Wofford’s comments found its way onto Twitter, where he was criticized for his egregious remarks. “Racism and Stereotyping is exactly why we must continue to make big moves like the one Diddy is trying to make,” said one Twitter user.
Racism and Stereotyping is exactly why we must continue to make big moves like the one Diddy is trying to make! #Panthers #Diddy #NFL pic.twitter.com/NS2AXhzdEw
— Saint Thomas (@themvpsaint) December 18, 2017
“You see a black mogul modeling his own brand and you think of smoking “blunts” and “drinking 40’s,” said another outraged user.
Wofford caught wind of the backlash and responded with a swift apology saying: “Diddy is a businessman who has the work ethic, success & contacts to run an NFL team.My response to @DaryaKRONFolsom question was regarding if he’s serious about buying the team. She laughed at my joke. The snippet takes things out of context. Sorry for any misunderstanding.”
He later wrote a deeper apology explaining his faults in the matter.
“Although it was said in an attempt to be funny, I realize insinuating a person may be drunk or on drugs is nothing to joke about. For that I sincerely apologize to Mr. Combs, his fans and everyone who was offended. Dozens of Diddy’s twitter followers have accused me of playing on racial stereotypes. That was not my goal. But I understand my comments had that impact and for that I sincerely apologize.”
He added: “Sean Combs has a long history of success in the music industry and he has done a wonderful job investing millions of dollars in multiple businesses. He has a great reputation for making large donations to help the community. He’s a man who has worked from the bottom to the top and for that I respect his accomplishments. My comment was never intended to downplay what Diddy Combs has accomplished as an entrepreneur nor was it intended to question what he’s capable of accomplishing in the future. Sean Diddy Combs has the work ethic, wisdom, dedication and contacts to be a successful NFL owner.”
Check out Wofford’s apology below.