Estee Lauder
Photo: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
- Estée Lauder has fired her top executive John Demsey for sharing an Instagram post that allegedly contained a racial slur.
- Demsey joined Estée Lauder in 1991 and oversaw a range of brands including MAC Cosmetics and Clinique.
- Following backlash from the post, Demsey posted an apology on social media on Friday, saying he was “deeply sorry and ashamed” for “carelessly reposting a racist meme without reading it first.”
Estée Lauder Cos Inc has ousted top executive John Demsey less than a week after suspending him for an Instagram post that allegedly contained a racial slur.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the post represented a parody of a book cover from the children’s TV show. sesame street and “contained the word N with some letters replaced by asterisks”.
The post was deleted from the executive’s verified Instagram account with nearly 74,000 followers.
“John Demsey, Group Executive Chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies, has been advised that he is to leave the business, effective this week,” the beauty products maker said in a letter to employees posted on its website. .
“This decision is the result of his recent Instagram posts, which do not reflect the values of The Estée Lauder Companies.”
READ ALSO | Woman accuses L’Oreal of tricking US shoppers into thinking products are made in France
Demsey, who joined Estée Lauder in 1991 and oversaw a range of brands including Clinique and MAC Cosmetics, was placed on unpaid leave by the company from February 22.
Following the post’s backlash, Demsey posted an apology on Instagram.
“I am 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 first… The meme is the furthest thing from what I stand for…” he said. .
Follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter, instagram.
Sign up for W24 newsletters so you don’t miss any of our stories and giveaways.
We live in a world where fact and fiction collide
In times of uncertainty, you need trusted journalism. For only R75 per month, you have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, better opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today.
