Source: Patrick McMullan / Getty
Top Estee Lauder executive John Demsey just fumbled the bag epically all because he thought it was funny to share a racist meme about going to a Chingy concert.
Monday (Feb.28), Estee Lauder said it asked John Demsey to leave the company after he shared a meme with a racial slur in it. The ridiculous meme in question is a play on a Sesame Street children’s book featuring Big Bird wearing a surgical mask standing over Mr. Snuffleupagus, who is sick in bed with the title reading “My n***a Snuffy done got the ‘rona at a Chingy Concert.”
We couldn’t make this up if we tried.
A staff memo shared on Estee Lauder’s investor’s relations spoke on the situation, and it reads:
This decision is the result of his recent Instagram posts, which do not reflect the values of The Estée Lauder Companies, have caused widespread offense, are damaging to our efforts to drive inclusivity both inside and outside our walls, and do not reflect the judgment we expect of our leaders.
A spokeswoman for the beauty giant further elaborated, revealing “Mr. Demsey had not been fired but had been told that he had to leave the company” and that he agreed to the decision on Friday (Feb.25). Over the weekend, Demsey apologized on Instagram, writing he was “terribly sorry and deeply ashamed that I hurt so many people when I made the horrible mistake of carelessly reposting a racist meme without reading it beforehand.” He added, “undermined everything I have been working for since I began my career 31 years ago.”
As expected, Twitter jumped all over Demsey for sharing the stupid meme and getting forced into early retirement over a Chingy concert, of all things in the year 2022.
Welp.
Estee Lauder can now use the money it’s no longer paying Demsey for other causes. Employees called the company out for political donations made to former President Donald J. Trump by board member and son of the company’s founder Ronald S. Lauder. In response, Estee Lauder said it would donate $5 million to “support racial and social justice and to continue to support greater access to education.”The company stated it would also donate an additional $5 million over the next two years.
You can peep more reactions to Demsey’s heada**ery in the gallery below.
Photo: Patrick McMullan / Getty
