Naomi Campbell has condemned comedian Sandra Bernhard over a “racist” 1998 stand-up routine about Mariah Carey.
On her YouTube talk show, the supermodel reflected on her history with Carey and recalled being offended by Bernhard’s comments about Carey’s ethnicity in a 1998 comedy special.
In Bernhard’s I’m Still Here… Damn It!, the comedian claimed that Carey was exploiting her biracial identity to revamp her career. “She’s trying to backtrack on our asses by acting real ni****-ish there at the Royalton Hotel suite with Puff Daddy and all the greasy, chain-wearing Black men,” Bernhard said.
Of the joke, Campbell told Carey: “People can be very hurtful, but one of the things that hurt me, because I care about you and I care about the past, was what Sandra said. I was just like, ‘Are you for real?’ How did that even slide by? That is so rude and disrespectful. And I will say it here: completely racist.”
“You are Black,” Campbell continued, while gesturing at Carey. “You have every right. You are working also, in a professional capacity. I just felt like, now, I wanted to clear that up because I was pissed.”
“I wish I would have called you back when it happened because I was so upset and nobody came to my rescue at that point,” Carey said. “But whatever, I can’t – it’s ignorance.”
Campbell also condemned Bernhard for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement despite her past jokes.
“I look at these people who are now like, ‘Yes, Black Lives Matter’, but yes honey, let’s really remember what you said,” Campbell added. “Because those things will come back and haunt you. Now you want to backtrack?”
In 2018, Bernhard attempted to “bury the hatchet” with Carey when they crossed paths at Andy Cohen’s US radio show Radio Andy.
“I adore you,” Bernhard told Carey. “Even back in the day. We’ve talked this through.”
“Well, well, well, well,” Carey replied. “We don’t need to go down that memory lane.”
The Independent has contacted Bernhard’s representatives for comment.
