Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has been accused of racism after becoming embroiled in an online row with a political commentator over Donald Trump‘s alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Linehan, 57 kicked off a vicious social media race storm after responding to British political activist Femi Oluwole who posted a video on X of himself rapping about Trump’s involvement with the disgraced American financier and child sex offender.
Accompanying the video, Mr Oluwole wrote: ‘Donald Trump is a N**CE! Unlike his little distraction with the BBC, he can’t exactly sue Epstein!!’
But just hours after the controversial post on Wednesday, Mr Linehan responded: ‘Femi is the only black person I’ve ever seen who looks like he’s in blackface. Could he be cancelled for this?’
Mr Oluwole then slammed the writer and comedian posting in response: ‘Graham Linehan is so passionate about defending N**ces that he’s flown into a racist rage, calling me a minstrel.’
He then posted a comment to Jimmy Carr along with an earlier video of him praising Mr Linehan for his ‘bravery’ on speaking out against transgender activism and gender identity ideology which has made him a controversial figure.
Mr Oluwole posted: ‘Dear @JimmyCarr. You know how you said you love Graham Linehan for having the ‘bravery’ to say things others won’t?
‘Was saying I look like a minstrel part of that?
Graham Linehan kicked off a vicious social media race storm. Pictured: The Father Ted creator outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 4
Linehan made the remark after commentator Femi Oluwole spoke out about the links between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Pictured: Oluwole on Good Morning Britain in 2022
After Oluwole called Donald Trump a ‘nonce’ on social media, Graham Linehan said the commentator, who is black, ‘looks like he’s in blackface’
‘Are you endorsing his racism, or would you like to take back your ‘love’ for him?’
But Mr Linehan did not take the post lying down, responding: ‘Running to tell daddy lol,’ while adding: ‘lol I knew he’d be clutching his pearls over this.’
Mr Oluwole then replied: ‘Nah, I just figured, using one piece of s**t to expose another is just good economics.’
Mr Linehan also suggested that Mr Oluwole was being ‘paid’ for his campaigning on a variety of issues such as Brexit and transgender activism.
He further posted: ‘Femi is paid well for it. He even has handlers.’
Mr Oluwole is the co-founder of Our Future Our choice, a pro-European advocacy group and enjoys a large social media following in which he regularly posts about a range of controversial topics.
As the row between the two men continued, others also took to X with the overwhelming majority accusing Mr Linehan of racism and urging him to take down his post while some rushed to show their support.
Following his original post in which Mr Linehan appears to mock Mr Oluwole’s skin colour, one X user posted: ‘For God’s sake Graham, this is not OK.’
Another added: ‘Please delete this and apologise Graham. I do not stand with rhetoric like this. Black men are not meant to look a particular way.’
Another post declared: ‘Once a successful comedy writer, now just another heinous racist in a saturated market. What a life you lead,’ while another stated: ‘Wow, what a great way to help all those people who say being Gender Critical is the same as being racist, by you being actually racist.’
But there were also a number of posts in support of Mr Linehan.
One post aimed at Mr Oluwole said: ‘You want men in female spaces. You are supporting a cult that is mutilating and sterilizing children. The same cult that’s homophobic to its core. Do you see it for what it actually is.’
In response to Linehan’s remark, Oluwole said the Father Ted creator had called him a ‘minstrel’
As the row escalated Linehan said Oluwole was ‘clutching his pearls’ over the comment, while the commentator said the comedian had ‘made fun of my skin colour’
Another added: ‘I think the point he’s (Mr Linehan) is making when you don’t have an argument all you can do is throw terminating cliches at people like calling them racist. Something that’s clearly working for you as you have a lot of followers but no arguments with any substance.’
One user said: ‘Wot fun did he make? He is a comedian. Kind of wat dem man do.’
In September, Mr Linehan was arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence over his gender critical posts on X.
The Metropolitan Police later dropped the probe and took no further action, announcing that they would no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents.
Separately to this, Mr Linehan has also been on trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on charges of harassment and criminal damage.
The prosecution alleges that he ‘relentlessly’ posted abusive comments about transgender activist Sophia Brooks, 18 on social media last October before throwing her phone in a road.
Mr Linehan has pleaded not guilty to the charges telling the court while giving evidence that his life has been ‘made hell’ by transgender activists because of his views about gender identity.
