*”BMF” actor Da’Vinchi has reportedly lost about 200,000 Instagram followers after his controversial comments about Americans on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast.
According to AllHipHop, the Haitian-American actor’s following fell from 2.1 million to roughly 1.9 million. The outlet estimated his losses could reach 500,000 across all platforms but admitted the numbers are hard to verify.
The backlash centers on his remarks about American work ethic and how the country raises children. The conversation also touched on why Black British and Caribbean actors sometimes land roles as Black Americans.
As EURweb previously reported, Da’Vinchi argued that American culture keeps people dependent for too long. “But in America, no shade to you guys, but the way the culture moved the majority of its citizens, you’re just incompetent for a really long time,” he said.
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The actor also questioned whether American society encourages independence and critical thinking, saying, “I don’t think it promotes us really like being able to think critically and being hard workers, being able to think outside the box.”
After the criticism, Da’Vinchi admitted his remarks were too broad. Replying to a woman who objected, he wrote, “… I’m sorry you felt like it was you. It was a generalized statement. I should’ve been more specific. Love you, queen.”
The fallout has since grown beyond the podcast.
AllHipHop reported that Brandon Brown, an actor and artist who says he once knew Da’Vinchi, accused him of holding negative views of Black Americans. Brown also claimed Da’Vinchi played up his Haitian heritage to separate himself from Black identity before he became famous.
The outlet also said unnamed industry insiders were upset with the actor and suggested some of them might try to block his future acting work.
For now, nothing shows the controversy has hurt Da’Vinchi’s career. Still, what started as backlash over podcast comments has become a wider debate about his views on Americans and Black identity.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: ‘BMF’ Star Da’Vinchi Says Americans Stay ‘Incompetent’ Too Long
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