Anchor Called Fat: Kenneth Krause apologizes to Jennifer Livingston for fat shaming her, says he was obese child
Jennifer Livingston, a small town news anchor, created a video that went nationally viral just in time for Anti-Bullying Month. In response to a viewer who chided the La Crosse, Wisconsin television personality for being overweight, Livingston went on the air to decry his attack.
CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien was so outraged by Livingston’s abuser that she revealed his identity on national television, a move Livingston did not attempt on her local station. In an interview with the Wisconsin TV host O’Brien said she thought to herself, “‘if I were Jennifer, I would go ahead and name him.’ And, so, his name is Kenneth Krause, and he actually is standing by his email.”
After being outed Krause defended his statement for a time — even offering Livingston personal assistance should she choose to lose weight as he recommended. In a second email, Krause offers these words of explanation for his critique:
Given this country’s present epidemic of obesity and the many truly horrible diseases related thereto, and considering Jennifer Livingston’s fortuitous position in the community, I hope she’ll finally take advantage of a rare and golden opportunity to influence the health and psychological well-being of Coulee region children by transforming herself for all of her viewers to see over the next year – And to that end I would be absolutely pleased to offer her any advice or support she would be willing to accept.
His willingness to “advise” Livingston was drowned out by the continuing cries of anger elicited by Krause’s original claim that Livingston is a bad role model merely for being overweight.
“The person called me obese and I can deal with that and being called fat, but it was calling me a bad role model that really rubbed me the wrong way,” Livingston said in an interview on the Today show.
Krause has recently apologized for his comments and the hurt feelings he inflicted, not only recanting his position, but also making a revelation. “If she is offended, I truly apologize to Jennifer,” Krause told ABC News. “That’s the last thing I ever wanted to do.”
Krause has since learned that Livingston has a thyroid condition that makes it hard for her to lose weight, despite being a triathlete. Ironically, Krause admitted that he was also obese once — as a child. “I’ve been fighting all my life,” he said about struggling with his weight.
Noting that he is a security guard and not an attorney as the media originally reported, Krause told ABC News that he does not think he is in the social position to bully anyone. “She’s a big media personality. I’m just a working stiff.”
Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.
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