It has been a tough few weeks to be Joe Budden. Not only have his former co-hosts on the Joe Budden Podcast left (and then responded to why), but he’s endured a public back and forth that has ultimately seen part of his fanbase turn on him. Now he’s getting fire from a former host on his network.
Olivia Dope, formerly of the See The Thing Is.. podcast on the Joe Budden Network has accused Jumpoff Joe of sexual harassment.
The allegations were posted on Instagram where she revealed that Joe made a slew of sexually suggestive remarks to her that made her uncomfortable. She says she has been traumatized by the experience and is embarrassed of what happened. She also says she has had plenty of sleepless nights because of it. She points out specific examples of when it happened during Episode 16 of the podcast, including on “on-air hug” where Budden moved his hips while hugging her. She also notes that he said the two should have sex numerous times during the episode.
Every since that show, she decided to leave the network and the podcast and has battled with coming to light with these allegations.
Here’s what Budden had to say for his apology to address the situation:
“As a podcaster, it is my job to address topics and create dialogue around them. During the conversation on the See, The Thing Is podcast I didn’t handle the topics with the sensitivity they deserved. I recognize my words and power in that situation created an upsetting environment for Olivia. Upon reflection, both the network and I take accountability for this.
I apologize sincerely to Olivia, her former co-hosts, our staff, and the public. In an effort to not further any trauma, the episode will be removed from all platforms. We support all women’s rights to feel comfortable and protected in the workplace. We fell short of that in this instance. We support Olivia in her quest to heal, applaud her for finding the strength to share her experience, and wish her the best in all her future endeavors. I am taking the time to listen and learn; we have already begun to make the necessary changes to ensure this is a safe environment for all moving forward. We at the network endeavor to continue to elevate Black women’s voices and create opportunities to have constructive conversations to impact change.”
Watch her full video on Instagram below.