article: SeaWorld has released an almost five-year-old video that shows an ex-trainer repeatedly using the N-word - following the trainer's release of a book criticizing the company's treatment of animals. The recorded cell phone conversation, which the company released to reporters, shows John Hargrove using the N-word seven times while talking on the phone with a female friend. In the five-minute video, Hargrove discusses an incident in which  five black men allegedly threw a rock at the woman speaking on the other line that she said hit the back of her head. Hargrove, who also featured prominently in the CNN documentary Blackfish, says SeaWorld is mounting a smear campaign against him in an attempt to distract from his message. Scroll down for video . SeaWorld has released an almost five-year-old video depicting ex-trainer John Hargrove repeatedly using the N-word, just days after his book criticizing the company's treatment of animals launched . The recorded cell phone conversation, which the company released to reporters, shows Hargrove using the N-word seven times while talking on the phone with a female friend . 'You know you were mad, cause you whipped around and you said that, you did, "What are you n****rs doing throwing them rocks?"', he can be heard saying, a glass of wine in front of him. 'Didn't you think it was risky to say that to those five n****rs?', he asks the girl, who denies during the conversation that she spoke those words. 'How much did you drink tonight, my god,' she then says. Three bottles of wine can be seen on the table during the video. During the video Hargrove, who was a trainer at SeaWorld for 14 years, tells his friend 'I've been drinking so much,' as he and the person behind the camera continue to laugh hysterically at their friend on the phone. SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs said the company was given the video by an 'internal whistle-blower' last weekend and that his employment would have been terminated 'immediately' if they had known 'he engaged in this kind of behavior.' 'We are offended by John's behavior and language. The video is particularly reprehensible since John Hargrove is wearing a SeaWorld shirt,' Jacobs said in an email. Hargrove was a trainer at SeaWorld for 14 years and spoke out against the company in the highly critical documentary Blackfish . SeaWorld has also publicly claimed that Hargrove quit the company after he was disciplined for a 'severe safety violation involving the park's killer whales'. Hargrove spoke out against SeaWorld in the highly critical documentary Blackfish, which has left the company reeling with declining revenue and attendance. And last week he released a book detailing his long career with the once-popular park, titled Beneath The Surface. Hargrove quickly struck back after the video was released, saying SeaWorld was digging up dirt to make him 'look like this awful person'. 'What's so amazing, they're not addressing the issues at hand,' he told the Orlando Sentinel. 'This is about killer whales in captivity.' Hargrove told U-T San Diego that he had never seen the video and did not remember the incident. He also said he had been with another SeaWorld employee that night and 'had a lot to drink'. 'These are all just personal attacks to try to slander me and my character,' he said. 'These are petty, childish attempts to discredit somebody.' The NAACP issued a statement following the video's release and said Hargrove's repeated use of the N-word 'calls into question his judgement and his credibility'. 'It is difficult to accept his authority on animal welfare issues if he does not treat fellow humans with dignity and respect,' it states. The video's release also caused one San Diego bookstore to cancel Hargrove's book signing after the store received an email from SeaWorld with a link to the clip. None of Hargrove's other scheduled appearances have been canceled. Hargrove is currently on tour promoting Beneath The Surface, which recounts the 'devastating effects of captivity' he said he saw while working with killer whales as he became higher-ranked within the company, the ex-trainer told NPR. Hargrove struck back after the video was released, and said SeaWorld was trying to make him 'look like this awful person'. He also said he had 'a lot to drink' when the video was recorded and did not recall the incident . In the book, Hargrove said he was especially affected after seeing SeaWorld separate 19 mother killer whales from their calves, which he claims is done through trickery. He also claims he saw trainers hold back food from the whales. Hargrove  also fought back at SeaWorld's claim that he violated the company's safety rules. He said he was disciplined because he waited a day to inform his supervisors that another employee had improperly locked a gate at Shamu Stadium, even though he had immediately pointed out the mistake. Hargrove said he was 'punished' and was temporarily moved to the sea-lion stadium, but he then immediately went on medical leave for knee injuries before quitting the company entirely. SeaWorld's fight against Hargrove comes just a week after the company launched a new advertising campaign in attempts to fight the backlash it has received since the premiere of Blackfish. The company claimed the advertisement's close timing with the release of Hargrove's book was unrelated. The campaign focuses on the park's efforts of caring for animals in captivity and in the wild, while 'setting the record straight on false accusations by activists who oppose whales and other animals in zoological settings', the company stated. Print advertisements will appear in the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. Last week SeaWorld also launched its 'Meet the Animals' YouTube campaign, which introduces individual animals in the company's various parks.
highlights: Video shows John Hargrove, who appeared in Blackfish, using the N-word seven times as he talks to a friend on the phone .
  Hargrove said he 'had a lot to drink' when the video was filmed and did not remember the incident .
  SeaWorld released the video to reporters and said they received it last weekend from an 'internal whistle-blower'
  Hargrove says the company is launching a 'smear campaign' against him .
  He is currently on a book tour promoting Beneath The Surface .
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