TV presenter takes a break after strong negative reactions to comments about Jeremy Doku at the World Cup
TV presenter France Pierron has reportedly been put on pause by the French publication L’Equipe after getting a lot of criticism for her comments about Jeremy Doku during this summer’s World Cup.
If you don’t know, Doku said he plans to leave Belgium’s World Cup team to be there for the birth of his first child. His wife, Shireen, is expecting a baby boy around the second week of July, which happens to be the time of the quarter-finals in this summer’s tournament in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Doku said, “If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know football has many other things to consider.” He added, “I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We’ll see what we can do.”
After Doku’s comments came out, France Pierron criticized him on the show for his choice. She actually called it “disgraceful,” according to The Mirror. On L’Équipe de Choc, she said, “You can’t miss a World Cup. And now, you’re not even going to the match but to cut an umbilical cord? You have the chance to play in a World Cup, and hundreds of players would love to be in your place. But you’re leaving all that to watch the birth of your child, which honestly, is a moment where the dad is mostly useless, just an extra.”
After lots of people reacted strongly to her words, Pierron apologized. She wrote on X, “I was sharing my personal opinion during a debate. I understand that it might have shocked or hurt some of you, and I’m sorry about that.” She also added, “I never meant to downplay the role of fathers with their families.”
Now, French media outlet Clement Garin says Pierron has been suspended by the broadcaster and won’t be on the show this Monday. A tweet said, “France Pierron suspended from airing. The L’Equipe editorial team calls the management ‘hypocritical.’ According to sources, she won’t present #LÉquipeDeChoc Monday. The team doesn’t understand this because management first told them not to delete the post as it went viral. Only when the backlash got too much did management change their mind, deleting the post and turning against their own journalist!”
L’Equipe issued a statement: “On Friday, June 19, during a debate on ‘L’Équipe de Choc,’ France Pierron made comments that shocked many viewers.” They added, “The team distances itself from these remarks, which don’t reflect our group’s values, and apologizes to the player involved and to all fans.”