In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, former MSNBC host Joy Reid found herself confronted about a series of homophobic posts that surfaced from her old blog back in 2018. Morgan posed a provocative question, noting, “You’re not on MSNBC anymore. You’ve had a chance to, well, admit that these posts were yours, right?”
Reid responded, somewhat defensively, suggesting Morgan was using the interview to pursue his own agenda. She remarked, “I figured you might take this opportunity to bring up your peculiar fascination with Meghan Markle, but I won’t engage in that since it feels disrespectful.” Morgan seemed undeterred, responding, “I’m happy if you want to!”
As the dialogue unfolded, Reid claimed she didn’t know who accessed her blog over the years, yet she expressed willingness to take responsibility for its content. When Morgan pressed for clarification, she hesitated, saying, “It’s not for me…” to which he countered forcefully, “But you did say those things! You can’t deny that.” The conversation veered toward her opinions on mothers defending controversial books, which she argued were necessary for personal freedoms.
“I’ve explained myself,” Reid insisted. But Morgan countered that his aim was to hold her accountable for her earlier statements. Reid repeatedly stated she took full responsibility for what was on the blog, without directly confirming or denying authorship of the controversial posts.
Despite her apologies, Reid shifted focus back to criticizing the targeting of LGBTQ-themed books. Morgan pointed out the dissonance between her support for LGBTQ rights and the messages from her past blog, saying, “You wouldn’t even watch ‘Brokeback Mountain’ because of how uncomfortable it made you.” In response, Reid asked, “What’s your point?”
He continued, “It seems a bit hypocritical to present yourself as an ally while holding those views. A better approach would be to acknowledge, ‘Yes, I wrote that. I’ve changed.’ It’s clear you’re trying to act like this isn’t a part of your past.” Reid maintained her stance of ownership over the content but reiterated her growth since then, offering a broad apology for any harm caused.
Years ago, when the posts brought to light in 2018 first surfaced, she had claimed her site was hacked, attempting to distance herself from those assertions. “The person I am now is not who I was then,” she stated.
While Reid acknowledged the need for accountability, her retorts hinted at a struggle to reconcile her past with her present beliefs. She continuously apologised yet fell short of a clear admission regarding the authorship of those posts, instead opting to highlight her evolution since then.
Amid all this, she was ultimately let go from MSNBC earlier this year, receiving support from her colleagues who maintained her past statements did not reflect her growth over the years.
