*Actress Michelle Rodriguez put her ignorance of American history on full display during a recent interview with Vanity Fair. The “Fast and Furious” star sparked an uproar on social media when she claimed actor Liam Neeson is not racist because he kissed actress Viola Davis in the movie “Widows.”
As we previously reported, Neeson is at the center of a firestorm after admitting in an interview that he once wanted to commit a racially-charged murder after a friend revealed she was raped by a Black male.
While promoting his new film “Cold Pursuit” during an interview with The Independent, the 66-year-old actor, best known as the vengeful father in the “Taken” franchise, recalled the rape that occurred many years ago and how “primal” he felt following the assault.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Liam Neeson Reacts to Outrage Over His ‘Black Bastard’ Remark, Says ‘I’m Not a Racist’
Those comments from Michelle Rodriguez don’t surprise me. During my interview with her and the cast of WIDOWS, she and Erivo discussed that scene b/w Viola and Liam.
Then Viola came with facts. Interview is here: https://t.co/rs397ri5RT pic.twitter.com/VADlshJSqV
— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA) February 7, 2019
“She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way,” Neeson said. “But my immediate reaction was- I asked, did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person.”
Neeson then described waiting outside of pubs with a “cosh” (baton) hoping a “black bastard” would pop off and start an altercation so he could kill him.
“I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody – I’m ashamed to say that – and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some [in air quotes] ‘black bastard’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could… kill him,” he continued. “It took me a week, maybe a week and a half, to go through that. She would say, ‘Where are you going?’ and I would say, ‘I’m just going out for a walk.’ You know? ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘No no, nothing’s wrong.’”
Rodriguez, who was born and raised in Texas, said Neeson kissing Davis is proof that he is not a racist.
“Dude, have you watched Widows? His tongue was so far down Viola Davis’s throat. You can’t call him a racist ever, she told Vanity Fair magazine. “ Racists don’t make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue—so deep down her throat. I don’t care how good of an actor you are. It’s all bullshit. Ignore it. He’s not a racist. He’s a loving man. It’s all lies.”
As noted by SandraRose, the reaction on social media was outrage mixed with pity for the Latina star.
Shonda Rhimes tweeted: “The lack of historical context, bias blindness and willful ignorance required to open one’s mouth and say this about racism is mind boggling.”
Another Twitter user wrote: “Im gonna need my Latina women to stay out of black men and women matters if it doesn’t support them. Michelle Rodriguez and Gina Rodriguez”.
A third commented: “next thing u know michelle rodriguez is going to tell me men can’t be misogynists because they date women”.
“Thomas Jefferson sexually assaulted his slaves. By this standard… that also would not have been racist,” added user @BishopJacob.
Even Roland Martin chimed in, saying: “Michelle Rodriguez just needs to stop commenting. She clearly enjoys getting dragged for her analysis.”
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