Mississippi morning news anchor Barbie Bassett appears to have been fired for using a phrase popularized by Snoop Dogg during a Mar. 8th broadcast.
Bassett said “Fo shizzle my nizzle” while joking around with her co-anchors on WLBT, a local NBC affiliate. They were joking about Snoop Dogg collaborating with WLBT during a segment about his latest business venture, Snoop Cali Blanc, his fourth California wine. (RELATED: Snoop Dogg Dares People To Try To ‘Cancel’ Him, Says It Only Works If ‘You Believe It’)
Mississippi news anchor Barbie Basset fired for saying “Fo Shizzle My Nizzle” live on air when discussing Snoop Dog new wine collection. She has been a news anchor at the company for over 20 years. 👀😳
pic.twitter.com/zWBAOlvHyk— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 25, 2023
The catchphrase was popularized by Snoop Dogg, with “nizzle” being slang for the n-word. Bassett is no longer listed on the station’s website and she removed any mention of WLBT from her Facebook page, per the Clarion Ledger.
“As I am sure you can understand, WLBT is unable to comment on personnel matters,” WLBT Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry told the outlet. WLBT has made no public comments on the matter.
Bassett was defended by prominent black radio host Charlamagne Tha God after a video of her comments went viral on social media. “She might not even know what ‘nizzle’ means, yo. Come on, like stop. That’s not a reason to fire that woman,” he said, according to the New York Post.
She previously drew controversy for referencing a black reporter’s “grandmammy” during an October 2022 segment. Bassett apologized for the offensive remark and to the reporter to whom it was addressed.
Bassett was the first meteorologist in the network’s history and worked as a news anchor for multiple shows on the network, according to her archived employee bio. She won numerous awards for her work at WSBT including “Favorite Media Personality 2007” by Mississippi Magazine readers.
Bassett graduated from Mississippi College in 1993 and received a Masters of Science degree from Mississippi State University with a concentration in broadcast meteorology.
She serves on the board of multiple local charities and teaches two-year-olds in Sunday school, her personal website says. She has three children and grew up on a farm in Marks, Mississippi.