‘Arrested Development’ star apologizes for using racial slur in resurfaced video

Alia Shawkat is the latest celebrity needing to apologize for a past occurrence of using a racial slur. A clip of an interview from 2016 resurfaced online this week showing Shawkat using the N-word. The actor, who is best known for her role as Maeby Fünke in Arrested Development, has now posted a lengthy apology on her Instagram account and reactions are mixed from Shawkat’s disappointed fans.The incident took place during an interview at the 2016 South by Southwest Festival. Shawkat quoted a line from Drake’s “We Made It,” and the clip has now been circulated online by a Twitter user who wrote “@ShawkatAlia  I hope you’re still not using the N word like you did here. You’re not black so watch yourself.”Shawkat has posted a lengthy apology on her Instagram account, noting that she is "deeply sorry" and takes "full responsibility" for her words. “It was a careless moment, one I’m ashamed and embarrassed by but vow to continue to learn from. I regret using a word that carries so much pain and history for black people, as it is never a word to be used by someone who is not black," she continued. "I have been learning so much about what it truly means to be an ally. The voices of black people must be amplified and heard clearly."Shawkat addressed her own privilege in the apology, writing "As an Arabic woman, who can pass for white, I’m working hard to process this nuanced access I’ve been afforded and I realize how important it is to be hyper-vigilant in the spaces I exist in." Shawkat said she will continue fighting against injustices and working against the systems that don’t protect Black people, adding “Silence is violence, and so are the words we irresponsibly throw out.”

 

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A post shared by Alia Shawkat (@__mutantalia__) on Jun 8, 2020 at 8:01pm PDT

Many of Shawkat’s fans have voiced their disappointment and hurt over the actor’s use of the racial slur. Others have been quick to forgive the actor, including some of her friends in the film world. Mayans M.C. showrunner Elgin James posted a message of support for Shawkat in the comment section of her apology.“When I, a black and Latino filmmaker, came to this town you were one of the first and only people to treat me like I belonged here,” wrote James. “You embraced me and supported me when I had absolutely nothing to show for myself.  You put your career on the line to vouch for me and sign on for my film when no one wanted to give me a break and then you spent a month in Utah with me helping me learn the craft. You have been one of my strongest and most dear allies ever since I got here. And someone who very clearly knows what it’s like to be judged for your ethnicity.”[video_embed id='1974202']RELATED: The Instagram takeover giving Black voices a massive, much-needed platform [/video_embed]The Instagram account for the upcoming film The Birthday Cake, which stars Shiloh Fernandez, Ewan McGregor, Val Kilmer, Lorraine Bracco and Ashley Benson, also shared a message of support for Shawkat. “Lots of people involved in our film know Alia and the kind of person she is. All of you coming on here so quick to judge let’s all try and remember that forgiveness is the best way to heal. Please go and attack the bad ones. Alia is one of the good ones. She has been a good and true friend to ALL walks of life.”Prior to the resurfacing of Shawkat’s video, the actor had been sharing messages of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement, including posting pictures from a protest and honouring the late Breonna Taylor who was killed by police gunfire in her home in March.[video_embed id='1974196']BEFORE YOU GO: Kerry Washington’s wise words about the Black Lives Matter movement [/video_embed]