The daughter of WSPA anchor Amy Wood is apologizing after a video surfaced last week showing her spouting racist slurs.
Gracie Wood posted an apology video on Instagram where she says she’s sorry for the “horrible and disgusting” things she said and for hurting people in the Black, Hispanic, Jewish, Asian, Middle Eastern and LGBTQ+ communities.
“There is absolutely no excuse for anything that came out of my mouth and I can only imagine the pain the people felt when watching those videos,” said Wood.
Wood also said she wasn’t raised to believe those thing but understands it doesn’t change the impact of her words. She said she has met with several leaders in the communities that she offended and had several people reach out to mentor her.
“I can’t even imagine the pain and struggle it has been to be a minority,” said Wood. “And I know that I will never fully understand that. But I hope that I will learn and grow to be far more respectful than I was in those videos towards those people and towards the minority communities.”
She also said she is no longer in attendance at her high school and will not be allowed to walk at graduation and added there will be “several more consequences to come.”
GoUpstate, which first reported the news said Woods High School, Oakbrook Prep released the following statement on its social media platforms as well as a letter to school families Jan. 12:
“We have been made aware of recent statements made by an Oakbrook student. While these statements were made off campus in a non-school related event, we find these comments and the behavior of those involved offensive and extremely disappointing. The statements made are not reflective of Oakbrook’s mission and core values, which are academic excellence, character, community, creativity, and diversity.
“As advocates for all God’s people, we strive to create a community that is respectful and inclusive based on Biblical principle and appreciates the richness of different cultures and viewpoints. Our school leadership is prayerfully considering actions that we can take to reinforce our core values, enable our students and staff to learn from this experience, and promote a caring environment where everyone in our community feels respected and valued.”