Ben Mulroney, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, makes public his decision to leave his role as the co-host on CTV's 'eTalk' during the June 22 broadcast of 'Your Morning'.
- Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz - Jessica Mulroney's white privilege controversy has brought indirect repercussions for her anchor husband. Less than two weeks after black influencer Sasha Exter accused his wife of threatening her livelihood over Black Lives Matter movement, Ben Mulroney announced that he is is stepping down as the co-host of CTV's "eTalk", and was applauded for his decision.
The 44-year-old shared his decision with the public during the Monday, June 22 broadcast of "Your Morning", another CTV show he co-hosts. "I want to take a moment to speak about the situation surrounding my wife, Jessica, and the next steps I will be taking with Bell Media," he began telling viewers. "I love my wife; however, it is not my place to speak for her."
"And today - together - we are both committed to doing the work to understand more about anti-Black racism as well as learn and understand more about our blind spots," he continued before acknowledging that he has benefited greatly from his privileged. "I know that systemic racism and injustice helps people like me and harms those who aren't like me, often in ways that are invisible to us. This needs to change."
Claiming to have learned from CTV's recent special "Change & Action: Racism in Canada", the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney explained, "That conversation showed me, more than ever, we need more black voices, more indigenous voices, and more people of color in the media as well as every other profession."
"And that is why I have decided to immediately step away from my role as an anchor at eTalk to create a space for a new perspective and a new voice," he added. "It is my hope that the new anchor is black, indigenous, or a person of color who can use this important platform to inspire, lead, and make change."
Ben's announcement was met with support from Bell Media Studios Vice President Nanci MacLean. In her statement, "We're proud of Ben for his decision. Ben has played an integral role in the success of ETALK, acting as a tireless champion of Canadian artists and productions. We thank him for his contribution to building ETALK into Canada's #1 entertainment show, and look forward to developing new projects with him at Bell Media Studios."
Both Bell Media and Ben have assured that he will remain as a special correspondent for "eTalk" though he will no longer serve as a co-host. He will also maintain his role as the co-host of "Your Morning". Nanci further added that the company is in the process of confirming a new anchor for the show.
Ben's stepping down came a little over a week after CTV announced the removal of his wife Jessica's "I Do, Redo" series from all Bell Media channels and platforms. The decision was made after the good friend of Meghan Markle was slammed for her threatening remarks by Exeter in a 12-minute long Instagram video.
