“Married to Medicine” star Dr. Jackie Walters gave a tearful apology in response to the backlash she faced for past comments she made about Black pregnant women.
The Atlanta-based OBGYN and reality star took to her Instagram on Sunday, Dec. 24 to post a video message expressing how “brokenhearted” she is about comments she made in 2020 about Black pregnant women who “cry wolf” about pain during their pregnancy.
“I’m taking a much-needed pause to address comments that I made during a 2020 live interview with one of my castmates,” Dr. Jackie said in the video apology.
“First and most importantly to Black women and mothers, including your friends and the medical community who care for you because my words left you hurt and feeling unsupported.”
She continued. “I want you to know I hear you, I see you, I believe you, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I am brokenhearted over this. The guilt and reality that I have hurt and offended people, especially Black women and some of my own patients, pains me to my core.”
The apology came in response to backlash for a 2020 YouTube Live she did with castmate Dr. Heavenly Kimes where she called out the pregnant Black women who “cry wolf” about pregnancy pain to get out of work.
“Sometimes as African Americans women, we’re a bit more dramatic and that you go to the doctor and you complain and you complain and you complain and you’re not taken seriously because you cry wolf the entire pregnancy,” Dr. Jackie said.
“We wanna also make sure that you’re being serious with your doctor and not playing the games so that could take you off work. Because then we see you 25 times in the pregnancy, it’s hard to believe there’s a true problem when there’s a true problem.”
The old comments resurfaced after a recent “Married to Medicine” episode where Dr. Jackie had a virtual sitdown with Vice President Kamala Harris about the Black maternal health crisis.
The backlash was swift and resulted in Dr. Jackie issuing an initial statement on her Instagram Story addressing the upset but with no formal apology. The Bravo star said her comments were being “taken out of context” and focused on her continued advocacy against the Black maternal health crisis.
But the backlash continued with Dr. Jackie even facing criticism from alleged past patients of hers who came forward with testimonials about their experience under her care. With the heat coming in the wake of her meeting with VP Harris about the Black maternal health crisis, Dr. Jackie likely saw fit to issue a sincere apology and not a general statement.
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