Karamo Brownis weighing in on the backlash aroundSean Spicerjoining theDancing with the Starscast.
Shortly after thenew cast for season 28was announced on Wednesday, fans expressed their anger on social media about ABC’s choice to bring Spicer, 47, onto the dancing competition series.
But that wasn’t all fans were unhappy about. They also criticized Brown for not outwardly disapproving of the casting after he said he was excited to meetPresident Donald Trump‘s former press secretary and have “respectful conversations” with him.
Brown, 38, first responded to one Twitter user who said they were “disappointed” in theQueer Eyestar for “lending his celebrity to this.”
In response, Brownsaid, “First, I have no say who is on the cast and didn’t find out till this morning that he is on! But I’ll tell you this… I’m excited to sit down w/ him and engage in respectful conversations.”
“Only way things get better is if we try to educate those who have different POV than us,” he added in the tweet.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images; Shannon Finney/Getty Images
“I honestly can’t stand people like you who post things like this and you reposted some bs about a comment Jonathan [Van Ness] said… just to flame the fire and get a reaction,”he said, referencing a comment hisQueer Eyecostar previously made about Mitt Romney.
“We fight harder than your ass ever has for people of color and members of the LGBTQIA community,” Brown added.
Brown’s supportive sentiments, however, were met with mixed opinions from his followers.
Some applauded him for “always seeing the best in people, being positive, and trying to make the world the best place it can be.”
“Karamo, I feel like you really SEE people. If you see that in him, I believe that you really feel that way, regardless of the differences you have,” wrote one person.
Others, meanwhile, slammed him and claimed he was “making friends with white supremacists” and “a man who told blatant LIES to the American citizens on the daily.”
“Karamo he lied for Trump for 6 months!! Wtf??? Defending him over people rightfully calling ABC out… anything for a profit? Stop normalizing this presidency,” wrote one user.
Brown isn’t the only one who has recently responded to the backlash over Spicer’s casting.
HostTom Bergeronalso appeared to express his thoughts about Spicer joining the show on Wednesday — but unlike Brown, he wasless than thrilled with the selection.
Bergeron, 64, posted a lengthy message on Twitter, revealing that he met with theDWTSexecutive producer several months ago and tried to steer the show away from politics.
“Chief among them was my hope that DWTS, in its return following an unprecedented year-hiatus, would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably decisive booking from ANY political affiliations,” Bergeron wrote, adding that he “left that lunch convinced we were in agreement.”
Added Bergeron, “It is the prerogative of the producers, in partnership with the network, to make whatever decisions they feel are in the best long-term interests of the franchise. We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it’s their call.”
“I’ll leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions,” Bergeron wrote, before adding a positive spin to his post.
“For me, as host, I always gaze into the camera’s lens and imagine you on the other side, looking for a two-hour escape from whatever life hassles you’ve been wrestling with,” he continued, joking that he’s always ready to supply “dad jokes.”
“Hopefully, when [co-host] Erin Andrews and I look into those lenses again on September 16, you’ll be on the other side looking back, able to enjoy the charismatic pro dancers, the unpredictable judges and the kitschy charm that has deniedDWTSsince 2005,” he concluded the post.
Bergeron echoed his feelings on Spice while speaking to Sirius XM’sEntertainment Weekly Liveon Wednesday. Calling him a “political lightning rod,” Bergeron explained his “preference” was for Spicer to not have been cast.
“Dancing, at its best, is an oasis, away from all the divisiveness and all the stuff we are wrestling with right now,” the host said. “And so, that was a call they made, and my job as host, to the best of my ability, is to be Switzerland for those two hours a week.
“For the other 166 hours a week, I am pretty clear where I stand politically,” Bergeron added.
Tom Bergeron & Sean Spicer.Dave Kotinsky/Getty
Spicer and Brown will be joining The Supremes’ Mary Wilson,The Bachelorette‘sHannah Brown, supermodelChristie Brinkley, country starLauren Alaina, actorJames Van Der Beek, NFL legend Ray Lewis,The Officestar Kate Flannery, pop starAlly Brooke, former basketball playerLamar Odomand comedian/actorKel Mitchellout on the ballroom this season.
The cast was announced during Wednesday’s episode ofGood Morning America, and already, Bergeron couldn’t help but poke fun at his new costar.
“The nice thing is Sean will be in charge of assessing audience size,” Bergeron joked to Spicer on the morning show. (Spicer famously came under fire forlying about the size of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration, claiming, “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.”)
RELATED VIDEO: Dancing with the Stars Season 28 Cast: Lamar Odom, Hannah Brown, Christie Brinkley and More!
Although he admitted to being dancing-impaired, Spicer said onGMAthat he plans to “work really, really, really hard every day,” in order tostay in the competition.
This season, the pro dance partner pairings won’t be unveiled until the premiere.
Season 28 ofDancing with the Starspremieres Sept. 16 on ABC.
source: people.com
