BD Wong issues apology for making racist joke
Actor BD Wong has apologised for making a racist joke on social media.
The Tony Award-winning actor, who has also appeared in the likes of Mr Robot and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, made the racist remark in the comments section of a post made by Mike Holston, aka ‘The Real Tarzan’.
Holston, who is Black, uploaded an image with a large animal wrapped around his shoulders alongside the caption, “Name this animal… wrong answers only.” Wong replied, “It appears to be a Black man.”
After receiving a backlash for his comments, Wong took to Threads to apologise for his remark, writing, “Y’all I made a very bad joke. As most people in hot water do, I deleted it for Damage Control but it’s out there & continues to hurt & disappoint & I’m really sorry about the hurt part.”
He then tried to explain his initial post by clarifying his reasoning, adding, “Super dumb, but I tried to follow the ‘Wrong Answers Only’ prompt with the wrongest answer.”
Wong’s apology continued, “This succeeded only in that it was Super Wrong. I know nobody gets a free pass. I’m sorry if this #wtfbd moment tarnished any respect you may’ve had for me. & thanks if you advocate for an internet that’s safe for everybody.”
Several hours later, in another post on Threads, Wong added, “I want to elaborate on a racist comment I posted, to clarify that I recognize & accept the responsibility for how terrible it is. It’s also wrong to try to ‘explain’ anything, & I think that causes a further breaking down in folks’ trust.”
His second apology concluded, “Let me please spend the energy on how wrong I know it is to exploit a despicable, racist trope in the supposed spirit of humor; I do know better, but again no excuses. Very sorry for the hurt I’ve caused & for taking lightly something so deeply injurious.”
Wong has yet to post again on Threads since issuing his apologies early this week.
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