Russian newsreader says Barack Obama 'insult' was misunderstanding
In her first interview on the subject with the Western press, Tatyana Limanova insisted that the middle finger had not been an insult but an indication to the television crew to raise the autocue.
Miss Limanova said she had not been brought up to make rude gestures and that most people had reacted to a simple misunderstanding with humour. She was horrified to discover that she had become known worldwide for the incident.
"The world is unfair," she told The Daily Telegraph. "I did not consider it necessary to justify myself (at the time) because it was so absurd. You can either take it seriously or view it as a curious incident. Most people in Russia reacted to it with humour.
"I really did not enjoy the celebrity. I am quite a private person and I was happy to remain famous in only narrow professional circles. It was unpleasant."
Speaking about her sacking by Russia's REN TV channel she added: "They summoned me on the day it happened for an explanatory chat and said they would be considering my future and then thought about it for a long time. After it went viral on the internet they fired me."
Posted by: Fred 2011-11-28 |