When talking to The Wrap recently about sexism in Hollywood, actress, director and screenwriter Julie Delpy made the following (and, quite frankly, bizarre) statement, in order to highlight the plight of women: “I sometimes wish I were African American because people don’t bash them afterward“.
While Delpy has addressed an important debate here on the film industry’s sexist attitude to its female members, I can’t help but think that she diluted her argument by pitting one minority group against another. And I wonder if she has considered what the struggle is like for African American women in the film industry?
Delpy (who is probably best known for Before Sunrise and Before Sunset which she starred in alongside Ethan Hawke) can be commended though, for issuing the following extensive heartfelt apology to Entertainment Weekly for her comments: “I’m very sorry for how I expressed myself“.
She continued, “It was never meant to diminish the injustice done to African American artists or to any other people that struggle for equal opportunities and rights, on the contrary … I never intended to underestimate anyone else’s struggle! We should stay alert and united and support each other to change this unfair reality and don’t let anyone sabotage our common efforts by distorting the truth“.
I’ve quoted Delpy at length here, because I think she did the decent thing – she took time to reflect on her comments, realised they were a little off and came back swiftly with an apology.
#Peace.Love.JulieDelpy
