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Following the claims DJ Olivia Dope made yesterday (May 17), where she recalled being sexually harassed by rapper Joe Budden during a taping of See, The Thing Is — a podcast she used to host on his network — today, the latter publicly apologized for his role in creating what she described as a “traumatizing” workplace environment.
As shared via Rolling Stone, the outlet noted that in the statement Budden issued today (May 18) he acknowledged and apologized to Dope for his actions during the incident — which happened in January of this year.
Budden’s statement said, “As a podcaster, it is my job to address topics and create dialogue around them. During the conversation on the See, The Thing Is podcast I didn’t handle the topics with the sensitivity they deserved. I recognize my words and power in that situation created an upsetting environment for Olivia. Upon reflection, both the network and I take accountability for this.”
“I apologize sincerely to Olivia, her former co-hosts, our staff, and the public,” he continued. “In an effort to not further any trauma, the episode will be removed from all platforms. We support all women’s rights to feel comfortable and protected in the workplace. We fell short of that in this instance.”
In Dope’s Instagram post shared yesterday where she spoke about the incident, she recalled, “On January 18, 2021, Joe Budden sat in on a recording of the female-led podcast I was a part of and continuously made sexual, suggestive remarks to me that made me extremely uncomfortable as well as fearful of dampening the mood if I didn’t laugh along while he made those sexual remarks to me. Those moments not only live on the internet forever, it also forced me into the decision of quitting the podcast.”
“It was traumatizing, embarrassing and I’ve decided that I have to actually speak up because not only was it important for me to walk away from it, it also is important for me to speak up to let others know this probably wouldn’t be the best situation for you to enter into, working with this person,” she added later. A part of her caption to the video had read, “… It took a lot to get to this point to speak up, but the healing begins now…”
In the final part of his statement, Budden emphasized that he and his team wished Dope the best along her healing journey. He also spoke of wanting to “elevate” the stories of other women who have experienced similar situations.
“We support Olivia in her quest to heal, applaud her for finding the strength to share her experience, and wish her the best in all her future endeavors,” Budden’s statement concluded. “I am taking the time to listen and learn; we have already begun to make the necessary changes to ensure this is a safe environment for all moving forward. We at the network endeavor to continue to elevate Black women’s voices and create opportunities to have constructive conversations to impact change.”
Watch Dope’s full video recounting Budden’s behavior here.
