Jacob (left) and his father, Carl Bernstein. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)
Jacob Bernstein, the son of famed Washington Post journalist Carl Benstein and the late screenwriter Nora Ephron, was the New York Times journalist supermodel Emily Ratajkowski called out on Twitter for calling First Lady Melania Trump a hooker. Bernstein has apologized for his comments.
The 37-year-old Bernstein has a brother, Max Bernstein, who is a musician. In addition to writing for the Times, Bernstein has also written for the Daily Beast, Paper, The Huffington Post and New York Magazine.
Carl Bernstein and Ephron were married from 1976 to 1980.
Here’s what you need to know about Bernstein and his apology.
1. Emily Ratajkowski Called Out a New York Times Journalist & Called it ‘Slut Shaming’
Emily Ratajkowski accused Bernstein of “slut shaming” at a New York Fashion Week Event. She wrote a series of tweets on February 13, but didn’t give specifics about the event or who the writer was.
“Sat next to a journalist from the NYT last night who told me, ‘Melania is a hooker,'” the supermodel wrote. “Whatever your politics it’s crucial to call this out for what it is: slut shaming. I don’t care about her nudes or sexual history and no one should. Gender specific attacks are disgusting sexist bullshit.”
Sat next to a journalist from the NYT last night who told me “Melania is a hooker.” Whatever your politics it’s crucial to call this out for
what it is: slut shaming. I don’t care about her nudes or sexual history and no one should.
Gender specific attacks are disgusting sexist bullshit.
Ratajkowski also posted a screenshot of a piece written by Teen Vogue’s Brittney McNamara about Trump:
Trump later praised Ratajkowski for calling out the reporter.
Applause to all women around the world who speak up, stand up and support other women! @emrata
#PowerOfEveryWoman
#PowerOfTheFirstLady
2. The Times ‘Reprimanded’ Bernstein for Bringing up an ‘Unfounded Rumor’
Politico reported that Bernstein was reprimanded by the Times for spreading an “unfounded rumor” about Trump. The Times initially didn’t identify the journalist or say how it would “reprimand” the writer.
The Times’ statement to Politico reads:
“At a party last night, a Times reporter who does not cover Washington or politics, referred to an unfounded rumor regarding Melania Trump. The comment was not intended to be public, but it was nonetheless completely inappropriate and should not have occurred. Editors have talked to the reporter in question about the lapse.”
Bernstein was likely referring to a Daily Mail claim that was later retracted, suggesting that Trump was a “high-end escort.” In early February, Melania settled a lawsuit with a Maryland blogger for originating the rumor that she was an “escort.”
3. Bernstein Came Forward on Twitter With an Apology for His Comments
Jacob (left) and his father, Carl Bernstein. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
Bernstein apologized on Twitter and called it a “stupid remark” made in a “personal conversation.”
“I want to take ownership of a mistake I made,” Bernstein wrote. “Speaking at a party in what I thought was a personal conversation, I nevertheless made a stupid remark about the first lady. My editors have made it clear my behavior was not in keeping with the standards of the Times, and I agree. My mistake, referring to unfounded rumors, shouldn’t reflect on anyone else and I apologize profusely.”
This is a four part tweet. 1. I want to take ownership of a mistake I made.
2. Speaking at a party in what I thought was a personal conversation, I nevertheless made a stupid remark about the first lady.
3. My editors have made it clear my behavior was not in keeping with the standards of the Times, and I agree.
4. My mistake, referring to unfounded rumors, shouldn’t reflect on anyone else and I apologize profusely.
4. Bernstein Is a Features Writer for the Times & Wrote a Magazine Story About His Mother’s Last Days
Bernstein as a Features Writer for the Times, who recently did a story on the Trump inauguration planner, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former Vogue employee.
In March 2013, Bernstein also wrote “Nora Ephron’s Final Act,” a story about his mother’s last days. Bernstein also worked on Everything Is Copy, a documentary about his mother’s life. He narrated the film.
In a People Magazine interview, Bernstein said of his mother:
“I found it incredibly surprising how many people my mother worked over as a journalist and got away with it. Because she was operating at a time when there were fewer publicists and marketing consultants. Now you literally have reporters and their subjects separated by barricades, whether you’re talking about people covering Donald Trump’s campaign or people who are talking to movie stars on red carpet.”
In that same interview, People asked Bernstein if he wanted to make more documentaries. He said he’d rather stick to journalism and loves writing for the New York Times.
“There are not a lot of places you can write 4000-word pieces anymore and there are very few places that have the reach of the New York Times,” he told People Magazine. “But I do see documentaries as, I’ve only done one of these, but it gives me the ability to stretch and do a longer form thing with a little less of the pain of sitting in a room by myself.”
Many of Bernstein’s recent Times pieces to focus on fashion, but he’s written about other pop culture topics.
5. Bernstein’s Father Carl Bernstein Has Been Critical of Donald Trump
Bernstein’s father, Carl Bernstein told CNN that Donald Trump “lives and thrives in a fact-free environment.”
“Trump lives and thrives in a fact-free environment. No president, including Richard Nixon, has been so ignorant of fact and disdains fact in the way that this president-elect does,” Bernstein, who famously broke the Watergate story with Bob Woodward, told CNN in December. “It has something to do with the growing sense of authoritarianism that he and his presidency are projecting and the danger of it is obvious and he’s trying to make the conduct of the press an issue not his own conduct.”
On February 2, Bernstein told CNN that his advice for journalists covering the new president is simply, “Follow the money.”
“We have no idea what Trump’s businesses, associations, loans are in greater Russia,” Carl Bernstein told CNN. “This is a big job for investigative reporting. It’s a big job for Republicans in Congress, especially because it’s going to come back to bite them.”