For every person who’s had the drive to put themselves out there and follow their dreams, thousands more exist who didn’t have the courage to do so. Sadly, instead of admiring them from afar, some of these people decide to use their time and energy to disparage those who’ve made it into the public eye.
Most times, people in the public eye ignore these naysayers. But one Canadian news anchor, Leslie Cohen, decided to respond and it was pretty awesome.
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A viewer commented on Horton's look in the pants she was wearing.
The whole thing started November 29, according to Today.com. Moments before she went live on air, Leslie Horton received an email from a viewer who had watched her traffic report earlier that morning.
The email read: “Congratulations on your pregnancy. If you’re going to wear old bus driver pants, you can expect emails like this.”
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Horton says this user often attempts to humiliate her.
Horton, who works for Global News Calgary, said this person has reached out several times over the years. “His intent is always to humiliate or hurt me,” Horton told Today.com. And on November 29, she’d had enough.
“We’re not supposed to respond to trolls — so I had no plans to address it, but then the words just came out of my mouth. I had this visceral reaction,” she said.
During her next on-air segment, Horton read the email and then said, “No, I’m not pregnant. I actually lost my uterus to cancer last year, and this is what a woman my age look like. So if it’s offensive to you, that is unfortunate. Think about the emails you send.”
Horton had a radical hysterectomy.
Horton said the critic is likely a regular viewer and well-aware of her battle with endometrial cancer. After being diagnosed in 2020, Horton shared her journey with her audience, providing regular health updates.
“I had a radical hysterectomy, which means they don’t just take your uterus, they take everything — and it immediately impacts the shape of your body,” Horton shared with Today.com.
That's why Horton felt compelled to respond to this particular comment.
“Maybe I was responding to the pregnancy, no uterus, cancer thing,” she said. “Or maybe it’s just the fact that I’m tired [of] female broadcasters — and women in general — are being treated this way. And I would say it hit a nerve because I’ve received thousands of messages from people — men and women — saying, ‘Good for you. This is not right and it needs to stop.’”
'We're all with you.'
Horton received many words of encouragement. Many people applauded Horton for taking a stand against her troll.
“You’re a cancer warrior and a champion for women everywhere!” one use on X (formerly Twitter) wrote. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“You’re a beautiful woman Leslie,” another person tweeted. “There is a growing ugliness out there that is very despicable. We are all with you!”
Then there were others who thought she should have just ignored the comment entirely.
Horton believes news anchors should reflect their viewership.
Horton wasn’t just defending herself. She also was speaking up for other women like her.
“I will continue wearing the pants, and I will continue going on TV because you telling me I’m old, ugly and fat doesn’t change the way I feel about myself,” she said. “I also believe that your local news station should reflect your community, and guess what? There are other 59-year-old women out there!”
