Univision host Rodner Figueroa who was fired after making a racially insensitive remark about Michelle Obama now claims that the first lady's office may have played a deciding role in his dismissal.

According to Figueroa's representatives, no one from the network complained when on Wednesday he compared a makeup artist who transformed himself into Michelle Obama to a cast member of The Planet of the Apes franchise.

But later that night, hours after Figueroa's entertainment news show El Gordo Y La Flacaa aired, a Univision executive reportedly contacted the TV presenter and informed him that the first lady's office had made a complaint about the remark.

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Bold claim: Rodner Figueroa (left) claims First Lady Michelle Obama's (right) office got him fired from Univision after he compared her to a character from Planet Of The Apes on live television

The revelation implicating the First Lady’s team in the firing, first reported by TMZ, comes after a seemingly contrite Figueroa penned an open letter to Mrs Obama apologizing for his outburst.

In the missive, the sacked TV host wrote that as a bi-racial, openly gay man, he is no stranger to discrimination and has long been fighting for minorities.

He also stated: 'I voted openly twice for your husband, Barack Obama.'

Mrs Obama has not publicly addressed Figueroa’s claim that her staff got the Univision host fired for mocking her.

Venezuelan-born Figueroa, an Emmy-Award winning host at the Spanish-language network Univision, made the Planet of the Apes remark in a segment discussing the work of make-up artist Paolo Ballesteros who posts photos of himself transformed into female celebrities.

Rodner Figueroa, left, made the racially insensitive remark on the entertainment news show El Gordo Y La Flaca on Wednesday

Figueroa, 42, was talking about how Ballesteros had transformed himself into the First Lady when said: 'Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she's from the cast of Planet Of The Apes, the movie.'

When hostess Lili Estefan countered with 'What are you saying?' and host Raul de Molina said Obama was very attractive, Figueroa defended his remark, saying 'but it is true.'

The show aired live on the East Coast, but his remarks were edited out of the version broadcast for the West Coast, reports Latino Voices.

Later Figueroa co-hosted the evening gossip show Sal Y Pimienta, but by Wednesday night his photo had already been removed from the network's website.

In a statement on Thursday, Univision called Figueroa's comments 'completely reprehensible' and said they 'in no way reflect the values or opinions of Univision.'

'Yesterday during the entertainment show El Gordo y La Flaca, Rodner Figueroa made comments about First Lady Michelle Obama that were completely reprehensible and in no way reflect the values or opinions of Univision.

'As a result, Mr. Figueroa was fired immediately,' read the statement.

Venezuelan-born Figueroa made the remark in a segment discussing the work of make-up artist Paolo Ballesteros who posts photos of himself transformed into female celebrities such as the First Lady

On Thursday he issued an open letter apology to Michelle Obama. In it he claimed his comments were taken out of context and that as a member of a 'bi-racial Latin family' he isn't a racist, reports Latin Times.

'I can't accept that I am being called a racist and being fired for that reason and being humiliated by Univision after working there for 17 years,' he said.

I can't accept that I am being called a racist and being fired for that reason and being humiliated by Univision after working there for 17 years

'I come from a bi-racial Latin family, with family members, like my father, who is Afro-Latino. I am the first presenter on Hispanic TV that is openly gay and I am an activist for causes that favor minorities, that have been discriminated against just like me.'

Figueroa had won the award for Outstanding Daytime Talent in the Spanish category at the Daytime Emmy Awards last June.

Univision is the largest Spanish-language network in the United States, reaching an estimated 94 million U.S. homes. It ranks fifth among all television networks in the U.S.