Netizens Defend Ivanka Trump After Vivica A. Fox Recalls 'Insulting' Comment On 'Celebrity Apprentice'

"Empire" star Vivica A. Fox recently divided social media when she recalled an offensive exchange with Ivanka Trump while she was on "The Celebrity Apprentice."

During an interview with Andy Cohen on E! series "For Real: The Story of Reality TV," Fox recounted the time Trump commented on the way she spoke in a manner she found "insulting." Trump previously complimented Fox and Keisha Knight Pulliam for a presentation they did during a board meeting, saying, "You're certainly an articulate group."

"I’ll never forget that when I did ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ and Ivanka Trump, she said, ‘Wow, you speak very well,'" Fox told Cohen. "No, Andy. I hate to say it. I don’t think she knew at the time that she was insulting us. I really think that she thought she was complimenting us. That it was like, ‘Oh, wow, you guys are intelligent.’"

Cohen then quipped, "I don't think she knows now."

Fox recalled how "Twitter went crazy" over the comment, which reportedly played into racist tropes, when it aired in 2015 during the first episode of Donald Trump's final season hosting the show.

"Think of the layers and layers of white people that saw a cut of that show and aired it and they said, ‘Oh, this is great,’" Cohen said about the clip.

A spokesperson for Trump declined People's request for comment.

A number of netizens on YouTube and Twitter rushed to Trump's defense, saying there was nothing wrong with her compliment.

"That's not racist," one wrote, while a second user said, "Oh please stop looking for problems, she should have just said Thank you and moved on."

"How is it insulting saying someone speaks well? If someone told me I speak well and carry myself well I wouldn’t take it as an insult," another wrote.

"I guess Vivica thinks it's a racial insult for a white person to pay an African American a compliment, what an idiot. Viv is just looking for something to be outraged about and get a little attention for herself, as usual," a fourth user wrote on Twitter.

However, other social media users sided with Fox and said Trump's statement was indeed insulting. Joyce Hutchens tweeted, "'You're certainly an articulate group,' was the comment. I would have been insulted too. In fact, I was when it was said to me."

"When are we gonna normalize black people speaking well and making money. I mean, we have always been CAPABLE but so many people don't want us to be great," another wrote.

"that's a comment that most black folk get, IF they deign to 'speak well etc' I don't think many are aware how insulting that comment is to black folk," another wrote on Twitter.

Perez Hilton also defended Fox against those claiming she brought the topic back for attention, tweeting, "Vivica is booked and working! She doesn't need this for attention."