HBO"s "Camping" producer apologizes for anti-Semitic tweets: "What would Hitler do?"

TV producer and award-winning writer Travon Free issued an apology early Thursday for multiple old tweets that were derogatory toward Jews and joked about Adolf Hitler.


Mr. Free, the producer of HBO’s “Camping” who won two Emmys as a writer for “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” said the nearly decade-old tweets that resurfaced this week were a poor attempt to be funny.


“Got cut off in traffic by a Jew. WWHD? (what would Hitler do?)” the writer tweeted in 2010, before deleting it on Wednesday.

“Happy 122nd birthday Hitler. It’s a good thing you’re not around to see how much you motivated the Jewish community to run everything,” read a now-deleted 2011 tweet, according to a screenshot posted by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council.


Several other offensive tweets remained on Mr. Free’s account as of Thursday afternooon.



Mr. Free said Thursday that he’s matured “tremendously” since sending those tweets.


“Nine years ago I tweeted some stupid and really offensive jokes that were intended to be that, jokes,” he said in a statement. “My poor attempts at humor quite understandably have offended and disappointed many people, including some very close to me, and for that I offer my sincerest apologies.


“I’ve matured tremendously as a person, writer and comedian since 2010,” he continued. “Going forward, I will continue to work tirelessly at my job and on behalf of all marginalized communities, some of which, in retrospect, I did a tremendous disservice to with those tweets years ago. Again, my deep and heartfelt apologies.”


HBO condemned Mr. Free’s comments in a statement to The Wrap, saying it has no plans to pursue further projects with the producer.


“HBO is not in business with Travon Free nor do we have any plans to be,” an HBO spokesperson said. “This kind of language is deeply offensive and inexcusable.”



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Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/8/travon-free-hbos-camping-producer-apologizes-for-a/

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