NEW YORK — Actor Gabourey Sidibe said a 2022 “Watch What Happens Live” moment in which Kathy Hilton appeared to identify singer Lizzo as “Precious” was “weird” and “tinged with racism” in a One54 Africa podcast episode published Feb. 4. Sidibe said the slip fit a pattern of plus-size Black women being treated as interchangeable, adding that she had met Hilton previously and expected to be recognized by name, Feb. 7, 2026.
In an interview recapped by People, Sidibe said she has never met Lizzo and noted that their work occupies different lanes — a mismatch, she argued, that goes beyond a simple failure to recognize a celebrity photo.
The comments came during a wide-ranging episode of One54, a podcast hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila and comedian Godfrey Daneschmah that highlights stories from African entertainers, athletes and business leaders. Much of the conversation with Gabourey Sidibe focused on identity, her Senegalese American roots and how her breakout role still shapes the way strangers talk to her.
Gabourey Sidibe describes a familiar pattern
During the episode, available via iHeart’s One54 Africa podcast page, Gabourey Sidibe said the comment was especially jarring because Hilton had previously invited her to her home for a meeting about clothing. “You ought to know my real name,” Sidibe said, adding that being confused for other plus-size Black women is “always weird” and can feel racially charged.
Hilton, a socialite and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” fixture, made the remark in August 2022 while playing “Will Kathy Know Them?” — a game in which she tried to name celebrities from photos. After calling Lizzo “Precious,” Hilton suggested the word was a nickname, prompting uncomfortable laughter from host Andy Cohen and the studio crowd.
How the 2022 clip first played — and why it keeps resurfacing
When the segment originally aired, coverage centered on how quickly the moment ignited online. Entertainment Weekly described the exchange as an awkward stumble in a game where Hilton also failed to identify several other stars, including Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake and Melissa Etheridge. The Los Angeles Times reported Hilton later said the screen was too far away and blamed her poor eyesight for the mix-up.
For Gabourey Sidibe, revisiting the clip years later was less about a single gaffe and more about what it represented. She framed the confusion as part of a wider dynamic in entertainment and pop culture — one in which race and body size can flatten people’s identities into a narrow set of stereotypes.
Gabourey Sidibe is also moving forward professionally: She directed Lifetime’s “Mary J. Blige Presents: Be Happy,” premiering Saturday at 8/7c. The movie follows Val, a woman facing loneliness, an empty nest and growing emotional distance from her husband as she tries to reconnect with who she used to be. Mary J. Blige is an executive producer, and People reported the cast includes Tisha Campbell. More information about the film is available on Lifetime’s official movie page.
