Entertainment
Gina Rodriguez Issues Second Apology for Singing N-Word in Instagram Post
Published
4 years agoon

- Actress Gina Rodriguez reignited accusations that she is anti-black when she posted a video to her Instagram story of her singing a song using the n-word.
- Her apology was slammed by many as insincere, which prompted her to write and share a second apology.
- This is the latest incident causing many to call the actress out for her behavior towards black issues.
Rodriguez Uses N-Word
Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez reignited accusations that she is anti-black on Tuesday after posting a video to her Instagram story of her using the n-word.
In the now-deleted post, Rodriguez, a Chicago native of Puerto Rican descent, rapped along to Lauren Hill’s part on “Ready or Not” by the Fugees. “I can do what you do … believe me. (N-words) give me heebie-jeebies,” she rapped before laughing out loud.
!?!?!?? how is she so stupid pic.twitter.com/yZLg5KGtH9
— marioblanquista88 (@bIcncas) October 15, 2019
Social Media Users React
Social media users quickly flocked to Twitter with a flood of reactions to the post, with many noting that for years Rodriguez has been criticized for downplaying black issues. In fact, many users celebrated with “gotcha tweets,” and jokes about the fact that Rodriguez gave her critics the fuel they needed to “cancel” her on her own.
gina rodriguez has proven time and time again to be anti-black. now she’s out here saying the n word and POSTING IT ON INSTAGRAM. nobody let her crocodile tear her way outta this one. she’s over. https://t.co/4U1biHVZQt
— maybe: diane (@dianelyssa) October 15, 2019
Gina Rodriguez is an example of the bold anti-blackness of non-black people of colour. Black people keep telling ya'll not to use our reclaimed slurs, & here you go on your IG story mouthing along to a song saying "nigga", playing all in our faces. Ugly, racist, & disrespectful.
— spooky halloween name 🕸 (@tinykinseyscale) October 15, 2019
Nobody, And I do mean nobody, Loves saying “n*gga” more than a person who will never be called one or protect one.
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) October 15, 2019
Gina Rodriguez probably says it 3 times and clicks her heels before every interview. The anti-Black jumped out!
you're gina rodriguez. you were just accused of anti-black racism earlier this year. you cried defending yourself.
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) October 15, 2019
do you pic.twitter.com/qtWvvytWcF
She FINALLY said it! I BEEN waiting! We got you on camera, HD!! You are done!!! pic.twitter.com/TjSYGyJhbl
— Niggansel Elgort (@bIackgirIs) October 15, 2019
The fact that the stans have been waiting YEARS to cancel Gina Rodriguez and she basically handed it to us on a silver platter 💀 love to see it
— ice-a-✌🏿 (@AisAisbby) October 15, 2019
GINA RODRIGUEZ BITCH HERE YOU GO YOUR WELCOME pic.twitter.com/kblTd17wXs
— BARRY AND IRIS DESRVRE HAPPINESS (@love_timerea) October 15, 2019
Apology Sparks More Backlash
Rodriguez eventually deleted the post and uploaded an apology that many found insincere.
“I just wanted to reach out and apologize. I am sorry,” she said in the short Instagram story. But rather than apologizing for using the work directly, Rodriguez said, “I am sorry if I offended anyone by singing along to The Fugees, to a song I love that I grew up on. I love Lauryn Hill. And I really am sorry if I offended you.”
This “apology” is atrocious. pic.twitter.com/8bgbpqKoqM
— Jai (@jaidanielle) October 15, 2019
The apology promoted another round of backlash from people who argued she was not directly addressing the issue.
“I’m sorry IF I offended anyone”.
— TONI TONE (@t0nit0ne) October 15, 2019
“By singing along to the Fugees”.
This is an example of someone being deliberately obtuse. Gina Rodriguez KNOWS she offended people, not for singing a song but for saying the N-word. If the apology is going to be insincere, just keep quiet. https://t.co/tCjVenvcTs
Gina Rodriguez’s “apology” isn’t even an apology! She doesn’t acknowledge any harm she’s caused. What do you mean “if” you offended anyone? You obviously did so own up to it!! Your love for the song or artist doesn’t cancel your anti-blackness, Gina. pic.twitter.com/7BkvVAysBc
— brumbpo tungus (@flappybee) October 15, 2019
all this tells me is gina rodriguez has been saying nigga her whole life pic.twitter.com/rjYISGOYj1
— 𝓉𝑜𝓂 𝒽𝑜𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹'𝓈 𝒷𝒻 ★ (@yoongimetal) October 15, 2019
Gina Rodriguez apologies be like… pic.twitter.com/kcnHXdyvMW
— Kevín (@KevOnStage) October 16, 2019
Second Apology
After likely seeing the intensified outrage after her first response, Rodriguez issues a second apology on Instagram.
In her notes app apology, she wrote, “In song or in real life, the words that I spoke should not have been spoken.” She went on to say that she thoughtlessly sang along to a song she loved and posted it, adding, “The word I sang, carries with it a legacy of hurt and pain that I cannot even imagine. Whatever consequences I face for my actions today, none will be more hurtful than the personal remorse I feel.”
“Watching my own video playing back at me, has shaken me to my core. It is humiliating that this has to become a public lesson but it is indeed a much deserved lesson. I feel so deeply protective and responsible to the community of color but I have let this community down. I have some serious learning and growing to do and I am deeply sorry for the pain I have caused.”
Past Accusations of Anti-Blackness
The incident fueled long-running accusations of Rodriguez being anti-black because, in the past, she has seemingly dismissed black issues and put her foot in her mouth when trying to advocate for Latinx inclusion.
In July 2017, Rodriguez faced backlash for a tweet she posted which was widely understood as a response to Marvel’s groundbreaking Black Panther film, which consists of a predominantly black cast.
“Marvel and DC are killing it in inclusion and women but where are the Latinos?! Asking for a friend…” Rodriguez tweeted in a post that has since been deleted.
Critics slammed her for stepping on a profound cultural moment and many pointed out that both companies do hire Latin actors.
For Marvel specifically, two of its highest-grossing movie franchises feature actresses of Afro-Latino descent. Guardians of the Galaxy’s Gamora is played by Zoe Saldana, who is Dominican and Puerto Rican, while Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok is played by Tessa Thompson, whose father is Afro-Panamanian. Both stars also appeared in the box office smash hit, Avengers: Endgame.
Rodriguez was blasted again in September 2018 during a press junket for the animated film Smallfoot. Rodriguez and her co-star Yara Shahidi spoke with entertainment reporter Blogxila, who said Shahidi was an inspiration to “so many Black women.”
“So many women,” Rodriguez interjected. Blogxila quickly hit back defending his previous comment saying, “Yeah for women too but for black women, we need people on a whole ‘nother level.”
Many critics interpreted Rodriguez’s comment as an attempt to co-opt a conversation about black identity and erase black issues.
Then in November 2018, during a roundtable discussion about diversity and pay equity in Hollywood, Rodriguez incorrectly stated that Black and Asian actresses are paid more in Hollywood then Latinas. At the time of her claim, the highest-paid actress on television was a Columbian actress, Sofia Vergara, who claimed the top spot for the seventh year in a row. Meanwhile, only one black woman, Scandal’s Kerry Washington, made the list of TV’s highest-paid women.
gina rodriguez and grabrielle on equal pay pic.twitter.com/v3ffVaUo1Q
— ً (@justlnw) November 23, 2018
In response to the flood of hate she received after the discussion aired, Rodriguez appeared on the radio show Sway in the Morning where she called the reaction from the black community “devastating.” She then went on to describe her father as “dark-skinned,” and talked about coming from an Afro-Latin background.
“The black community was the only community I looked towards growing up. We didn’t have many Latino shows, and the black community made me feel like I was seen. To get [called] anti-black is [like] saying I’m anti-family. My father is dark-skinned, he’s Afro-Latino. My cousins — Puerto Ricans are African, Taino, and Spaniard, and it’s in my blood. So that was really devastating to me. And I know my heart. I know what I meant. And I really wish we weren’t living in a culture where we’re clickbait, because I’ve never said anything controversial about anybody.”
Her father, Gino Rodriguez, is a well-known boxing referee, and some found her description of him as “dark-skinned” to be a stretch. Meanwhile, others were frustrated at the fact that she did not admit her wrongs or apologize.
See what others are saying: (Washington Post) (NBC News) (Fox News)

Entertainment
Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”
Published
6 days agoon
May 24, 2023
The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”
After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.
“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers.
The new HBO Max (MAX) has eliminated writer/director credits in their interface in favor of a vague "Creators." This is what Raging Bull currently looks like. It's so fucking over. pic.twitter.com/gPveQ469GB
— John Frankensteiner (@JFrankensteiner) May 24, 2023
The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face.
“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”
The studios don’t want anyone to know our names. It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless. https://t.co/JgqKGRkJng
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) May 24, 2023
“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added.
“Creators.” Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense. https://t.co/MN0nCzLWhh
— Jorge Rivera (@riverag3000) May 24, 2023
In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”
“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”
On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting.
“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.
See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)
Entertainment
A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women
Published
1 week agoon
May 22, 2023
U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.
Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men.
According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject.
Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.
Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him.
The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him.
Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform.
He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence.
Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release.
See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)
Entertainment
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 17, 2023
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.
“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.
In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”
“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.
“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued.
Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving.
The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.
The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests.
The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident.
“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said.
Memories of Princess Diana
The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris.
Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.
Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase.
“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.”
Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later.
See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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