As the national protests call for racial justice campaigns, people of all ages, races, and backgrounds are demonstrating in that campaign against the systemic racism plaguing the United States. And the
Entertainment industry has its own action in publicizing the intolerance of racism. Canceling shows and firing stars from movies or
TV Shows after offensive comments are among the measures being taken to support the battle for equality.
Celebrities are being held accountable for offensive actions and words. Late-night show host Jimmy Fallon, for instance, apologized after a blackface sketch from his early “Saturday Night Live” career resurfaced, while a top ABC News executive was placed on administrative leave for racist comments. Keep scrolling down to find out 6 celebrities who were fired after being accused of racism.
#1 Hartley Sawyer
Source: Jon Kopaloff/ Gettyimages
There were racist, homophobic, and misogynistic tweets coming from The Flash actor Hartly Sawyer, which made him unemployed from the CW superhero show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Showrunner Eric Wallace publicized a long statement on Twitter, indicating that Sawyer's tweets "broke [his] heart" and made him "mad as h***." Star Grant Gustin shared the statement, adding that "words matter." Sawyer apologized on Instagram, declaring that the tweets were "meant with an intent of humor" but that he is "ashamed [he] was capable of these really horrible attempts to get attention at that time."
#2 Lea Michele
Source: Bruce Glikas/ Gettyimages
Glee and Scream Queens star Lea Michele probably have made a bunch of enemies in Hollywood. While some of her costars, such as fellow Glee cast member Heather Morris and Broadway actor Gerard Canonico, criticized her for diva-like manners, numerous Black performers who worked with Michele stated that the way she treated them was not only mean but racist as well. The outpouring of stories (and gifs) flooded Twitter after Samantha Ware, who took part in the last season of Glee, mentioned Michele's tweet about George Floyd and accused her of making her time on set "a living ****" through "traumatic microaggressions."
Michele issued an apology on Instagram, stating that she didn’t mean to judge "others by their background or the color of their skin," but she has still lost work in the wake of the conversation.
#3 Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute
Source: CNN
In an Instagram Live conversation with MTV's Floribama Shore star Candace Renee Rice, former Vanderpump Rules cast member Faith Stowers disclosed that former costars Stassi Schroeder and
Kristen Doute once reported her to the police as a prank. Because they thought she looked like a Black woman wanted for robbery. (Both Schroeder and Doute had previously spoken about the incident in joking terms.) Although both women apologized on their social media accounts, Bravo posted a statement on Tuesday revealing that they—as well as fellow Vanderpump Rules stars Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni, who both had racist tweets resurface—had been fired.
#4 Abby Lee Miller
Source: Jon Kopaloff/ Gettyimages
Abby Lee Miller rose to her stardom as the dance studio she founded became the setting of the Lifetime reality series Dance Moms. Lately, Adriana Smith, the mother of one of her students, declared in an Instagram post that Miller—despite posting a black square on Instagram signifying solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement—had made racist comments to her and about her daughter, Kamryn, while filming. "I know you grew up in the hood with only a box of eight crayons," she recalled the coach saying, "but I grew up in the country club with a box of 64—don't be stupid."
Miller posted an apology on Twitter, which Smith told Entertainment Weekly she didn't receive because it "was not sincere." Lifetime had intended to spin Dance Moms off this summer into a socially distanced series named Abby's Virtual Dance Off, still, it's now been canceled ahead of its debut, as first reported by EW. Lifetime also informed us that Miller wouldn’t show up in the upcoming season of Dance Moms.
#5 Dee Nguyen
Source: Thechallenge
MTV's competition reality show The Challenge said goodbye to a competitor when Dee Nguyen—also an alumnus of the British answer to Jersey Shore, Geordie Shore—was kicked out of the show for since-deleted tweets about George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. ("Idk why some of u think I'm anti BLM. I've been saying that since the day I lost my virginity," she noted in one. And responding to a post about Floyd, Nguyen posted on Twitter, "People die every ******* day.") The upcoming season of The Challenge (which includes Nguyen) will air as prepared, MTV and the production company informed, but she won't be a part of the reunion or future shows.Nguyen issued an apology first on Twitter, then had a longer statement to US Weekly. "What was stated wasn't meant to be hurtful or discriminatory in any matter. It was a knee jerk of a reaction and it's certainly not the way that I feel nor what I meant," it reads, in part.
#6 Aleksandar Katai
Source: Michael Janosz/ISI Photos/ Gettyimages
Right after aggressive and troubling social media posts posted by his wife, professional soccer player Aleksander Katai "mutually agreed" to say goodbye to the LA Galaxy. According to CNN, Tea Katai issued a call for Black Lives Matter protestors to be killed, as well as an insensitive meme about looting on her Instagram, both of which have since been removed. On his Instagram, the player said that the views that came from his wife were not shared by him or "tolerated in [his] family." Just a day after their initial statement condemning the "racist and violent" posts, the team publicized that Katai would no longer belong to the LA Galaxy.