David Custer, an anchor at Saginaw, Mich., CBS affiliate WNEM, swears he was just trying to make a joke when he tweeted the photo at right (click to enlarge), depicting himself as Richard Gere and his co-anchor Meg McLeod as Julia Roberts, the prostitute in Pretty Woman.
Let’s just say, it didn’t go over well on Twitter:
@DavidLukeCuster @AndrewKeller ya'll know Julia Roberts was a prostitute in that movie, right?
— Nick Ponton (@nick_ponton) May 7, 2015
@DavidLukeCuster @AndrewKeller ok, so you're aware you're literally presenting an anchor as a hooker?
— Nick Ponton (@nick_ponton) May 7, 2015
Custer’s response to his critics wasn’t great, either:
“Aren’t news anchors ‘prostitutes’ for their show? A balancing act for ratings and survival?” he asked, in a now-deleted tweet.
After more backlash, Custer deleted the offending tweet, writing:
I apologize for a lighthearted photoshop picture on my account. To know me, as my followers do, is to know I love to laugh…at myself.
— David Custer (@DavidLukeCuster) May 8, 2015
This doesn’t really sound like he’s truly sorry, more like he’s being forced to apologize.
There’s been no word from WNEM management as of yet.