Amy Wood is a news anchor for WSPA-TV in Greenville, South Carolina, whose daughter, Gracie Wood, is embroiled in controversy after video surfaced of Gracie making racist and homophobic remarks.
According to the Spartanburg (South Carolina) Herald-Journal, the two videos featuring Wood’s daughter were first posted by the Instagram account @saucecarolina, which declined to tell the outlet where the videos originated.
“The account stated in a direct message that it would not reveal the initial source of the videos,” the Herald-Journal wrote.
Gracie Wood has now apologized for the “horrible and disgusting” content, according to Yahoo.
“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,” she said, Yahoo reported. She said she wasn’t raised like that. “I’ve met with several leaders in the communities that I offended,” Gracie Wood said. “And I’ve had several people reach out to mentor me. I hope with their guidance and my self-accountability that I will become more educated and come out on the other side as a better human being.”
The news site reported that Wood’s husband and Gracie’s father is Mike Wood, a Spartanburg County magistrate judge.
You can watch the videos later in this article, but be aware that the language and sentiments expressed in them could be disturbing to some viewers.
The Herald-Journal also spoke to a local Black Lives Matter activist named Bruce Wilson, who said of Amy and Mike Wood, “They were absolutely mortified by this and I could generally feel how apologetic they were because they understood this hurt so many people. I believe there was some peer pressure involved in this, and this type of talk and behavior wasn’t taught in their home.”
In a statement posted to her Facebook page, Amy Wood apologized on behalf of Gracie, who has not commented. Gracie Wood is 17 years old.
Here’s what you need to know:
Amy Wood Called the Things Her Daughter Said ‘Horrific, Disgusting & Vile’
Wood labeled her daughter’s video comments “disgusting” and “vile” in a statement she posted to Facebook on January 13, 2022.
Here is Amy Wood’s comment in full:
I want to apologize on behalf of my daughter and our family for the horrific, disgusting, and vile things my daughter said on the videos so many of you have seen.
We know the words spoken have caused terrible pain and we are heartbroken over this, since we have never tolerated racism or hate in any fashion. We stand completely opposed to any behavior that diminishes anyone. I’ve been a people person my whole life and I’ve raised my children to love everyone. There are no excuses for anything on that tape.
Gracie has been a champion for rights and equality at her school.
This party at someone else’s home provided the perfect opportunity for so-called friends to bait a very intoxicated 17-year-old to say things that are in direct conflict with the way she has led her life.
This is not Gracie‘s heart and this is not our heart.
We will be working to learn from this and grow even stronger in our beliefs of equality and inclusion. To anyone who has been hurt, we offer our sincerest apology and ask for your forgiveness.
In the Video, Gracie Wood Praises Hitler as a ‘Pretty Quality Man’ & Uses a Racial Slur
The first video contains graphic comments and language.
“Mexicans and Middle Easterns out. All they do is want to kill people,” Gracie said.
“What about Africans?” someone asked.
“Africans? Kill them. They should blow up the whole continent of Africa,” she said.
“How do you feel about Germans?” someone asked.
“Y’all Nazis. But since you all hate gay people and Black people, I support. Hail, hail Hitler.”
She made a Nazi-like salute.
“Honestly, Hitler was a pretty quality man. And he went out the right way by killing himself,” she said. “I feel like I’d rather kill myself than be killed by a firing squad.”
She then used the N word.
The video was also shared on TikTok.
In a second video, she was asked to say her favorite racial slurs. “Monkey. All Black people look like monkeys. You can’t convince me different. They literally look like they should grow ears and have a tail,” she said.
According to the Herald-Journal, Gracie Wood was a popular Instagram influencer who is a singer/songwriter, but she has deleted her social media accounts.
The Prep School Attended by Gracie Wood Released a Statement
Gracie Wood attends Oakbrook Preparatory School in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which released this statement:
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.
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