This image, provided by courtesy of E!, shows Caitlyn Jenner in the first official promotional trailer for the new documentary series, "I Am Cait," in Southern California. The show premieres Sunday, July 26, 2015, at 9 p.m. PDT on E! E! via AP
A Nigerian newspaper reports I Am Cait, the E! docu-series featuring and executive produced by Caitlyn Jenner, has been dropped by one of the most popular cable and satellite television companies on the African continent. MultiChoice claims it’s responding to complaints from Nigerian viewers and pulling the plug out of “respect.”
“MultiChoice recognises the importance of respecting the views of its customers and all regulatory environments within which its service operates,” the company said in a statement, according to Vanguard.
However, in its reporting, Vanguard showed enormous disrespect to Jenner by deadnaming her, referring to her as “he” and reporting a lurid detail not discussed in the program, a detail that is irrelevant to the decision by MultiChoice:
“…she is yet to complete the transition process, as she still needs to undergo a surgery on sexual organ that will see her change the male organ to a female’s.”
MultiChoice has such influence, boasting a viewership of 5.4 million households, that the decision essentially takes I Am Cait off the air across all of Africa, according to Gay Star News.
Also, according to GSN, this isn’t the first transgender-focused reality show to be censored by MultiChoice. The company took I Am Jazz off the air in October 2015, again claiming it was in response to complaints by viewers in Nigeria.
Both shows were honored at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards when they tied for Outstanding Reality Program.
A spokesperson for E! has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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