Actress Gabourey Sidibe on Friday sharply criticized Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kathy Hilton for a long-ago television comment in which Hilton appeared to call singer Lizzo “Precious,” a name associated with Sidibe’s acclaimed film role.
Sidibe spoke about the incident during a recent episode of the One54 Africa podcast. The discussion has drawn fresh attention to a moment from the 2022 talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
“What happened was just strange to me,” Sidibe, 42, said. “I’ve literally been to Kathy’s house. I met this woman. We had a meeting.” Her voice carried a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
‘Tinged With Racism,’ Sidibe Says
The Precious star said Hilton’s comment touched on a broader pattern of casual misidentification. “I’ve been confused for many Black plus-size women,” she said. “It’s always weird and sometimes it feels tinged with racism.”
During the original Watch What Happens Live segment, Hilton was shown a photo of Lizzo, the Grammy-winning singer, and guessed “Precious?” before explaining, “That’s what I call her. Her nickname’s Precious to me.”
At the time, Hilton, 66, defended her guess by blaming poor eyesight and the game’s format. She later said she felt “terrible” about the confusion and insisted she meant no harm.
Sidibe, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role in the 2009 film Precious, stressed she has never met Lizzo, and the two work in very different professions.
“It was uncomfortable,” Sidibe said. “I’ve never met Lizzo. But Lizzo and I do different things — and to be used as shorthand like that is dehumanizing.”
A Larger Conversation on Recognition
Critics of Hilton’s original comment noted that the slip-up wasn’t isolated. Social media users at the time called the moment a glaring example of how plus-size Black women are often seen as interchangeable.
TV personality Kalen Allen once tweeted that the moment was hurtful. “Lizzo minds her own business but all people do is make her a joke,” Allen wrote in 2022, according to reports.
Sidibe’s new remarks come as she promotes her shift into directing, with a Lifetime film titled Be Happy set to premiere soon.
“I want people to see me for who I am and what I do,” she said. “And not for some tired stereotype.”