- A top beauty executive faced backlash for an Instagram post featuring a racial slur and a joke about COVID-19.
- John Demsey, executive group president at Estée Lauder, was suspended without pay over the incident, WSJ reports.
- Demsey oversees brands like MAC and Clinique and celebrated 30 years at Estée Lauder in 2021.
A top beauty industry executive has been suspended after creating an Instagram post featuring a racial slur and a joke about COVID-19.
John Demsey, an executive group president at Estée Lauder who oversees brands like MAC and Clinique, was suspended without pay amid backlash over the post, The Wall Street Journal reports.
It is unclear how long his suspension will last.
Demsey recently posted a fake Sesame Street book cover on his Instagram account that showed Big Bird wearing a mask and Snuffy in bed with a fever. The fake book title used the n-word to refer to Snuffy, saying the character "done got the 'rona at a Chingy concert." The post no longer appears on Demsey's Instagram.
Demsey has been at Estée Lauder for over 30 years. Besides MAC and Clinique, his portfolio of brands also includes the likes of Too Faced, Smashbox, and GLAMGLOW.
Demsey declined to comment. Estée Lauder did not immediately respond to a request for comment.