Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner is reaping the ramifications of controversial comments regarding his new book, “The Masters.” On Saturday (Sept. 16), he was ousted from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s Board of Directors amid outrage over his remarks about excluding women and Black acts from his book.

“Jann Wenner has been removed from the Board of Directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation,” said a representative for the Hall of Fame in a statement released to Rolling Stone. The individual did not elaborate on the reasoning behind the sudden decision. Wenner co-founded the foundation in 1987. In his book, he explores interviews he conducted with Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Jerry Garcia, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen.

The veteran publisher deemed the aforementioned men to be legends and philosophers of the genre. In a newly published interview with The New York Times, Wenner said that not a single female act made the cut because they were not “articulate enough on this intellectual level.” He echoed a similar sentiment about Black musicians. “Just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didn’t measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism. Which, I get it,” he told the publication.

Wenner released a statement via his book’s publisher — Little, Brown and Company — as the backlash over his critical remarks rolled in. He said, “In my interview with The New York Times, I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists, and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks.”

He went on to clarify that “The Masters” best represent “an idea of rock ’n’ roll’s impact on my world; they were not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career. They don’t reflect my appreciation and admiration for myriad totemic, world-changing artists whose music and ideas I revere and will celebrate and promote as long as I live. I totally understand the inflammatory nature of badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences.”

In 2004, Wenner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a nonperformer. He was heralded for revolutionizing music journalism.