‘Crossed my line’: Calgary traffic reporter goes viral after response to body comment | CityNews Calgary

TV site visitors reporter Leslie Horton developed a thick pores and skin through the years due to nasty suggestions from viewers, however she unleashed a viral smackdown final week after she says one among them “crossed my line.”

The often unflappable host, who has been at Global Calgary since 1995, was about to offer a stay report on the morning present when she determined to learn out a message she obtained throughout a break.

“I’m just gonna respond to an email that I just got saying, ‘Congratulations on your pregnancy. If you’re gonna wear old bus-driver pants, you have to expect emails like this,’” Horton mentioned.

“So thanks for that,” she responded.

“No, I’m not pregnant. I really misplaced my uterus to most cancers final yr. And that is what ladies of my age appear like. So whether it is offensive to you, that’s unlucky.

“Think about the emails that you send.”

Horton, 59, mentioned she has been getting “nasty” messages for the final 4 years from the identical man, who’s “clearly not a fan and that’s fine,” she instructed The Canadian Press in an interview Thursday.

She had been ignoring them, she mentioned, as a result of ladies in broadcasting get a whole lot of unkind messages.

But Horton, who talked brazenly about her most cancers prognosis when she took a break from work in January 2022, mentioned the being pregnant remark appeared focused.

“I found this particular message aimed directly at shaming me, humiliating me and embarrassing me and making me feel bad about myself,” she mentioned.

“I simply thought, you possibly can ship me your critiques, you possibly can ship me some nasty messages, however you don’t get to talk to me inappropriately. And that had crossed my line.

“So I said some words. Apparently they were coherent. And I finished my traffic report and I walked away.”

Horton, a one-time cheerleader for the B.C. Lions within the Canadian Football League, mentioned she had not deliberate to reply to the message.

“The (words) just came out of my mouth and they came from deep within my spirit.”

After, she mentioned, she was shaking.

“It was a combination of the realization that someone was trying so hard to hurt me. You don’t have to tell me I have a belly, emailer. I know I have a belly. And guess what? Grey hairs and wrinkles, too,” she mentioned.

Horton mentioned her response appears to have struck a chord with different ladies in media and girls of the identical age.

Video of her response has been making the rounds on social media, with widespread reward and assist.

Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis shared it on Instagram. “This news anchor was body-shamed by a viewer,” mentioned textual content positioned over the video submit.

Fellow American actress Michelle Pfeiffer, in response to Curtis, wrote “Bravo” with a number of clapping hand emojis.

Horton mentioned she appreciates sturdy ladies position fashions coming to her defence and suggesting individuals want to consider how they discuss to one another.

“I am no spokesperson for women around the world,” added Horton. “I am a mom who lives in Calgary and is lucky enough to live out her passion, working five hours of live TV a day.”

Horton mentioned she turns 60 in March and intends to have a month-long celebration.

“Once a doctor has opened the door of a room, walked in and said, ‘It’s cancer,’ life as you know it is done. That tends to leave you with an attitude of gratitude,” Horton mentioned.

“So 60? I’m still green side up. So yeah, we’re going to celebrate the wrinkles.”

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press