After reportedly defending his April 4 description of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, which is comprised of eight African-American and two white players, as “nappy-headed hos,” on the April 6 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, host Don Imus apologized for the remark. Imus called his comments “insensitive and ill-conceived,” adding that "[i]t was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended." He further called the comments “thoughtless and stupid.” Media Matters for America noted Imus' initial comments at the time.

According to an April 5 article on Imus' comments on the WNBC website, “Imus said people should relax and not worry about 'some idiot comment meant to be amusing.' ”

From the April 6 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning:

IMUS: Want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team. It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, so, and we're sorry.