Univision fired Emmy-award winning Spanish-language television personality Rodner Figueroa after he said that First Lady Michelle Obama looked as if she were a member of the cast of the Hollywood film Planet of the Apes.
Figueroa, who’s known for his biting fashion commentary, made his remarks Wednesday during a live segment of the show El Gordo y la Flaca in which the hosts were commenting on a viral video that shows a makeup artist transforming himself into different celebrities, including Michelle Obama.
“Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she’s from the cast of Planet of the Apes, the movie,” Figueroa, 42, said with a giggle.
When hostess Lili Estefan countered with “What are you saying?” and host Raul de Molina said Obama was very attractive, Figueroa defended his remark, saying “but it is true.”
In a statement Thursday morning, Univision called Figueroa’s comments “completely reprehensible.”
“Yesterday during our entertainment program El Gordo y La Flaca Rodner Figueroa made comments regarding First Lady Michelle Obama that were completely reprehensible and in no way reflect Univision’s values or views,” the statement said. “As a result, Mr. Figueroa was immediately terminated.”
Figueroa began at Univision as a producer for El Gordo y la Flaca and went on to join Estefan and co-host Raul de Molina. He also filled in when de Molina was on vacation. The show is popular with its Spanish-language audience and has been on the air for more than 16 years.
He also hosted the Sunday night show Sal y Pimienta, along with Lourdes Stephen, and had been involved in special programs, including Nuestra Belleza Latina.
Figueroa did not issue any direct comments about his firing.
On his Twitter account, @RodnerFigueroa, which has 623,000 followers, he posted a link to a photo of himself with his niece and nephew with the following message: “Disfrutando anoche de mis sobrinos!!! (Enjoying the night with my nephews) Family time is the best time!!”
Figueroa, who lives on Fisher Island in Miami, is an Emmy-award winning Spanish-language television personality. He’s also active in charities, attracting many Latino stars to different charitable causes. In October, he held a party for the founding of I Love Venezuela, “an organization that provides care and resources to multiple social projects for Venezuelans,” said a statement from the agency LatinWE at that time.
Univision is the largest Spanish-language network in the United States, reaching an estimated 94 million U.S. homes. Among all television networks, Univision ranks fifth in the United States.
