Univision host fired for ‘Planet of the Apes’ Michelle Obama remark

A popular Univision talk show host has been fired for making derogatory comments about Michelle Obama during a popular television show; the comments were widely circulated on social media.

On the Univision show “El Gordo Y la Flaca,” Emmy award-winning host Rodner Figueroa said, “You know Michelle Obama looks like she is of the cast of “The Planet Of The Apes,” pointing to a picture of the First Lady. The exchange took place during a segment on makeup transformations by a makeup artist, Paolo Ballesteros, who makes himself look like famous women celebrities.

Univision fired Figueroa; an executive told “People En Español” there was no place for racist comments in the network. Figueroa is also the host of another Univision show, “Sal Y Pimienta.”

El Comentario Racista de Rodner Figueroa hoy en @elgordoylaflaca @univision #racismo #despido #rodnerfigueroa #primeradama #michellobama #tv

A video posted by Javier Ceriani (@javierceriani) on Mar 11, 2015 at 9:17pm PDT

Happy that @Univision dumped #rodnerfigueroa for his comments about #MichelleObama just waiting for @Colgate @OpticWhite to do the same

— Manny Gonzalez (@Mannyharlem) March 12, 2015

This story originally appeared on NBC News.com

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