Steve Harvey has come to the defense of his wife after social media users reacted angrily to her use of the word ‘retarded.’
Marjorie Harvey posted a video on Instagram showing her and her Family Feud host husband cutting fruit in the kitchen.
‘I’m sitting here arguing with my husband, ’cause clearly he thinks I’m retarded [and] I don’t know how to cut a beet,’ she said in the clip.
The video, which was posted on Monday, has generated over 406,000 views on Instagram.
Marjorie Harvey, a fashion and lifestyle blogger, has 1.7 million followers on the Facebook-owned picture-sharing network.
The use of the ‘r’ word did not sit well with many of those followers.
‘Using the R word in a negative/derogatory way is demeaning to others, regardless of whether she is using it toward herself or others,’ wrote one user.
‘Just something to simply think about when using that word as an insult … in other words, just don’t.’
Another Instagram user who says her daughter has Down syndrome also protested.
‘There are people like me, my family, my daughter who has Down syndrome, who are all hurt by the implication you made,’ another follower said.
‘By using the R word in that way, it infers that people with cognitive disabilities are less than or dumb. Please consider taking the time to either personally or publicly reconsider using a word that hurts so many. I’m not saying that was your intent, but when know better, we should do better … right?’
‘I can tell you that most people who use the word have an idea in their head when they do,’ another user wrote on Instagram.
‘And that’s a person who is dumb or slow to understand. That’s who Marjorie was comparing herself to, whether she realizes it/meant to or not.’
The backlash on her Instagram feed prompted her husband to intervene.
‘What you tripping about cause my wife said the word retarded?’ the former Original King of Comedy wrote in defense of his wife.
‘It’s a word, ain’t it? And she ain’t talking ’bout nobody but herself to me. … She ain’t saying it ’bout nobody’s baby. I don’t ever comment but damn is you just looking for something to be pissed off about ’cause we ain’t. And I wrote it retarded. NAH!!’
Other fans sympathetic to Harvey also supported his wife.
One Instagram user said the remark was no worse than what President Donald Trump has said in public statements.
‘People ALWAYS looking for something to say and complain about. I usually don’t respond to ignorance but I had to on this one,’ a supporter wrote.
‘People have a problem with certain words being used all the time, but yet the current president of the United States has said all kind of inappropriate words and statements.’
‘Now we have to watch what we say in our own homes,’ wrote another pro-Harvey voice.
‘This lady was speaking about herself to her husband. I think people are needing something to talk about. If you didn’t like what she said stop following her.’
‘People act like they never used the word before,’ said another Instagram user.
