\ -- CNN has lifted the suspension on Roland Martin, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. According to FishBowl DC, CNN employees were notified on Monday morning during a morning conference call of the lift.
Martin, who hosts Washington Watch on TV One, was suspended after he wrote some questionable tweets on his Twitter account during Super Bowl Sunday that were understood by some to be homophobic remarks.
"If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham's H&M underwear ad," Martin wrote on Feb. 5, "smack the ish out of him!"
That prompted Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to demand Martin's dismissal from the cable news network. Martin issued an apology shortly thereafter, saying that his tweet was not homophobic - and in fact was more targeted at soccer fans.
"Let me address the issue that some in the LGBT community have raised regarding some of my Super Bowl tweets yesterday," he wrote in his apology at the time. "I made several cracks about soccer as I do all the time. I was not referring to s*xuality directly or indirectly regarding the David Beckham ad, and I'm sorry folks took it otherwise."
That wasn't enough. CNN suspended Martin on Feb. 8.
"Roland Martin's tweets were regrettable and offensive," read CNN's statement. "Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being."
SOURCE:
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/roland-martin-suspension-lifted-cnn-299070
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Saturday, March 17th 2012 at 2:36AM
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