MasterChef Star Apologises For Homophobic Comments
Image: Image: Reynold Poernomo, who has recently for extreme homophobic comments made in 2014.
Source: @reynoldpoer via Instagram
Fan favourite MasterChef Australia contestant, Reynold Poernomo has apologised after a series of homophobic comments made by him in 2014 resurfaced.
The MasterChef Australia: Back To Win contestant made a series of homophobic comments on bodybuilding.com forums six years ago which resurfaced on Friday last week.
Under the username, “reyreyy” the MasterChef alumni who was 20-years-old at the time, wrote that all gay people should be “put on a remote island,” when responding to a thread about the first gay couple to feature on the Disney channel.
“I wish the world make a united decision where they will capture all gay people and put them on a remote island full of gays, that way straight ppl [sic] will be happy and the freaks can go on and fuck themselves,” he said in 2014.
Furthermore, when asked in the thread if Poernomo thought homosexuality was a mental illness, he responded: “yes, end of thread.”
Poernomo made his debut on MasterChef in 2015, mere-months after the comments were made, where he competed in the seventh season of the Network 10 cooking show and finished in fourth place.
The Indonesian-born, Sydney-based MasterChef contestant is known as the ‘Dessert King’ by fans for his speciality in decedent sweet-treats.
However, Poernomo, now 26, has since released a statement via Channel 10 apologising for his actions and the hurt that his comments have caused.
“I would like to offer my sincere and deepest apologies for the comments that I made in 2014. I am ashamed of these comments and I regret them immensely,” he said.
“At the time these comments were made, I was a very immature, close-minded and insular 20-year-old. I have grown and matured a lot in the last six years. I am not the person I was back then.
“I have many friends and colleagues that are part of the LGBTQI community. I wholeheartedly support them and care deeply for them. I am truly sorry and apologise for any offence or hurt I caused.”
Poernomo has competed alongside openly LGBTQI contestants in this year’s season of MasterChef including Brendan Pang, Reece Hignall, Courtney Roulston, and Khanh Ong.
Ong has become another fan-favourite this season for wearing “You Are Loved” t-shirts every episode in support of LGBTQI youth charity, Minus18.
MasterChef has been embroiled in scandal this season, after fellow contestant, Ben Ungermann was booted off the show when arrested concerning sexual assault allegations.
36-year-old Ungermann was charged with two counts of sexual assault which he allegedly committed in February this year against a 16-year-old girl while in Melbourne.
Furthermore, before the ‘Back To Win’ season even began this year, veteran judges George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan were shockingly booted by the network in favour of new judges, Melissa Leong, Andy Allen, and Jock Zonfrillo.
WOW…I bet he wishes he was a winner…
and still lives by commitments he made when 20y/o, PUTRID!!
“I wish the world make a united decision where they will capture all gay people and put them on a remote island full of gays, that way straight ppl [sic] will be happy and the freaks can go on and fuck themselves,” he said in 2014.
Furthermore, when asked in the thread if Poernomo thought homosexuality was a mental illness, he responded: “yes, end of thread.”
Mega BS. You cannot ‘apologise’ for such disgusting comments whenever it suits you. He made these comments because that is what he actually thinks about gay people. But now that he is becoming ‘famous’, he is worried that this little gem from his past might harm his career. Well, too bad. I do not fall for such apologies. There is a word for these people: hypocrites.
People have been booted off shows for saying less. Why has he not been disqualified?
Is he now pretending to apologise as he knows there’ll be a backlash on his business if he didn’t come forward first. Too many homophobic people tend to find excuses for their views when they realise that their hip pocket is going to be affected. The other reason a lot of homophobic people lash out at gay people is that they were trying to cover up their own sexuality.
SSO could use a keen-eyed proof reader.
“Under the username, “reyreyy” the MasterChef alumni . . . ” A male graduate is an alumnus, alumni is plural.
“The Indonesian-born, Sydney-based MasterChef contestant is known as the ‘Dessert King’ by fans for his speciality in decedent sweet-treats.” Specialty, not “speciality”. “Decedent” is a dead person.
apology – just all marketing by Channel 10
Never liked this contestant, now I know why…..
Like most homophobes, he apologises after his past comes back to haunt him.