TV Psych Apologizes For Claiming UCSB Shooter Suffered 'Homosexual Impulses'

A Fox News guest has apologized after saying that California shooter Elliot Rodger's behavior could have been driven by "homosexual impulses."

Robi Ludwig, Psy.D, a pyschotherapist and host of One Week to Save Your Marriage, told Fox News she initially thought Rodger was inspired to engage in a shooting spree near the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara on Friday night because he was angry with women for rejecting him. Then she said she thought he might be trying to fight homosexual impulses, and that if she had met him in person, she probably would have diagnosed him as schizophrenic.

"Was he angry with women because they were taking away men from him?" she asked. "But this is a kid who couldn't connect, and felt enraged, and wanted to obliterate anyone that made him feel like a nothing."

Fox News's Jeanine Pirro reminded Ludwig that Rodger's victims included both men and women, but Ludwig then questioned whether Rodger was angry that the men did not want to be with him.

Ludwig later apologized Sunday on Facebook, following her appearance on Fox News.

"I was misunderstood on @FoxNews this weekend, when I was asked to hypothesize several factors which could have triggered #ElliotRoger's spree killing," she wrote. "I in NO way meant to indicate being a homosexual or having homosexual impulses is a cause for spree killing. My job on @judgejeanine was to asses several possible triggers for #ElliotRoger and his behavior #peace #forequalrights However, I apologize to all those who felt offended. That was never my intention."

Despite the apology, Ludwig is already facing professional fallout from her unprofessional and baseless hypothesis. In addition to her appearances on Fox News and several other major news networks, Ludwig served as a lifestyle real estate correspondent for property company Coldwell Banker. But after an inquiry from LGBT activist Scott Wooledge on the company's Facebook page Sunday, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC announced Tuesday that the company had cut ties with Ludwig over her comments.

"Dr. Robi's comments on the tragedy in Santa Barbara do not represent the opinions of Coldwell Banker," reads a comment from the company on Facebook. "Therefore at this time we feel it best to part ways with her as our lifestyle real estate correspondent."