While reporting on Kobe Bryant’s death Sunday afternoon, MSNBC reporter Alison Morris says she “stuttered on air” and said “Nakers” rather than “Lakers” during the broadcast.

Morris offered that explanation in a tweet after receiving social media backlash from people who thought she said the “n-word” during the report.

A viral video appears to show MSNBC’s Alison Morris using a racist term while covering Kobe Bryant’s death. She explains what happened (next tweet). pic.twitter.com/3FrQaEUuLQ — Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) January 26, 2020

A clip of Morris’s report quickly went viral as the world reacted to the basketball legend’s passing.

Morris Denied Using the Racial Slur in a Twitter Post

Earlier today, while reporting on the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s passing, I unfortunately stuttered on air, combining the names of the Knicks and the Lakers to say “Nakers.” Please know I did not & would NEVER use a racist term. I apologize for the confusion this caused. — Alison Morris (@AlisonMorrisNOW) January 26, 2020

In her Twitter statement, Morris apologized for what she said, writing, “Earlier today, while reporting on the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s passing, I unfortunately stuttered on air, combining the names of the Knicks and the Lakers to say ‘Nakers.’ Please know I did not & would NEVER use a racist term. I apologize for the confusion this caused.”

Within one hour, over 15,000 people had ‘liked’ the statement, and it had received more than 7,500 replies.

A Petition to Get Morris Fired Has Started to Circulate the Internet

On Sunday, a petition titled, “Get Alison Morris Fired!!!” began making the rounds on the internet. A section of the petition read, “On January 26, 2020 the world lost basketball legend & icon, Kobe Bryant. Alison Morris of MSNBC News think its ok to use a racial slur at this period of time! What she said was not Accident but on PURPOSE because she paused before she said ” Los Angeles Ni***** ” We need to join together to get her fired because Enough is Enough & we will not tolerate this Racist BS anymore !”

Within one hour, the petition had garnered over 250 signatures.

She Moved From Fox to NBC News Now Last Year

In July 2019, Variety announced that NBC had hired Morris from Fox’s NYC station as a full-time anchor. In the article, the outlet reported that Morris joined Fox 5 in 2014, where she worked as a business reporter and anchor and even received an Emmy nomination for her “Lap of Luxury” series, which investigated the world’s most exclusive luxury brands. Previously, Morris worked as a reporter in Paris, at CNBC Europe, and also worked as the evening anchor at Fox’s WTIC in Hartford, Connecticut.

After being hired by NBC, SVP of editorial for NBC News and MSNBC Janelle Rodriguez released a statement that read, “We’re confident that she will bring an authentic, trustworthy and deeply journalistic voice to the product, which is already starting to become a go-to source for a rising generation of news junkies.”

Morris received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in 2001 from Yale University.

The latest reports indicate that nine people were killed in the helicopter crash, according to the Los Angeles Times. Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, was also on board, and passed away along with her father and seven others, according to authorities.

The crash is believed to have taken place shortly before 10 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the crash.

A spokesperson for MSNBC declined to comment.

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