Female reporter mocked by NFL star slammed after racist tweets surface

A female journalist who was undermined by NFL player Cam Newton has apologised after making racist remarks on Twitter in the past.

Jourdan Rodrigue, a sports reporter for the Charlotte, North Carolina-based The Observer went viral on October 4 after the North Carolina Panthers quarterback mocked her after she asked a question during a post-game press conference.

Jourdan was heard off camera asking the American football player about the route-running of his teammate Devin Funchess. As she said the word "routes", Cam laughed softly. After she finished, he responded: "It's funny to hear a female talk about routes. Like, it's funny."

The athlete was swiftly criticised on social media for appearing sexist in his remarks.

Jourdan Rodrigue (left) apologised after racist tweets surfaced, one day after being public mocked by Cam Newton (right). Images: Twitter/Getty

Jourdan herself took to Twitter, writing: "I don't think it's 'funny' to be a female and talk about routes. I think it's my job."

https://twitter.com/JourdanRodrigue/status/915682599326162945

Now, however, the reporter herself is facing scrutiny after a flurry of racist tweets from "four or five years ago" have surfaced. Twitter uses shared screen shots of Jourdan's tweets to her timeline.

In two messages from 2013, she laughs about her dad being "super racist as we pass through Navajo land."

"He's the best. Racist jokes the whole drive home," she added.

A re-tweet from a parody account that she appeared to endorse used the N-word: "THE EARTH MOVES AT 450+ MPH THAT'S 10 TIMES TRILLER THAN NASCAR DALE EARNHARTS A B---H MY N---."

On September 5, Jourdan issued an apology to her nearly 28,000 followers.



"I apologise for the offensive tweets on my Twitter account from 4/5 years ago. There is no excuse for these tweets and the sentiment behind them. I am deeply sorry and apologise."