Gabourey Sidibe Calls Kathy Hilton’s Lizzo Mix-Up “Weird” After Previous Meeting
Gabourey Sidibe has come out in response to the viral moment when Kathy Hilton confused her with Lizzo and referred to her as “Precious” during a live TV broadcast.
The episode took place on an August 2022 edition of Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen. While indulging in a game called “Will Kathy Know Them?”, Hilton was shown a picture of Lizzo and her reaction was, “I feel like I do [know her]. Precious?” After some uncomfortable laughter from Cohen and the audience, Hilton continued, “That’s, like, what I call her. Her nickname’s Precious to me,…”
On the One54 podcast that aired on Wednesday, Feb. 4, Sidibe reacted to the episode. “It was a bit odd because I’ve actually been to that woman’s house and had a meeting with her,” 42-year-old actress shared. “I was like, ‘I know you—Kathy.'”
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Gabourey Sidibe Talks About Kathy Hilton Confusing Her for Lizzo: “It’s Weird and There’s a Bit of Racism”
Gabourey Sidibe talked about Kathy Hilton’s mistake of mixing her up with Lizzo and how she felt the incident was “weird” and also “tinged with racism.” Sidibe revealed, “I haven’t met Lizzo at all, but Lizzo and I are very different artists. I’ve been mistaken for Black women of various body sizes, not just one. And every time, it’s always weird and there’s a bit of racism.”
Furthermore, Sidibe said, “I thought that was strange, Kathy Hilton. Because I have actually been to that lady’s house and we had a meeting when she wanted to dress me. So I was like, how could you be so oblivious?… It is quite bizarre.”
Sidibe, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 2009 film Precious, also remarked on Hilton’s reference to the character “Precious.” “You should really know my name, too, since she said ‘Precious?’ I just, I don’t know…”
Kathy Hilton Responds to a Celebrity Mix-Up, Sidibe Promotes New Lifetime Movie
Kathy Hilton explained the criticism she got after she confused Gabourey Sidibe with Lizzo during a Watch What Happens Live! segment. Hilton wrote an explanation on Instagram that the show was “so far away” and her eyes “are terrible,” she also said, “Everybody knows I am notorious for not being able to see. If you remember, I was also not able to figure out who Justin Timberlake or Melissa Etheridge was.”
The source told E! News that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was feeling “awful” after the incident and “she is not the type of person who would hurt someone’s feelings on purpose.”
On the other hand, Gabourey Sidibe is unveiling Be Happy, a Lifetime film she helmed featuring Tisha Campbell and is a Mary J. Blige executive production. The movie will be aired Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime and will be available for streaming the next day.
