An Asian Actor Defended Her Decision To Change Her Surname And People Love Her Honesty
"Hollywood is racist."
On Tuesday, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Chloe Bennet took to Instagram to praise actor Ed Skrein for pulling out of the Hellboy reboot after he was accused of whitewashing a role.
She reposted Skrein's statement explaining his decision with a comment praising him for doing so.
Bennet wrote:
"DAMN, that's a man. Thank you @edskrein for standing up against hollywoods continuous insensitivity and flippant behavior towards the Asian American community. There is no way this decision came lightly on your part, so thank you for your bravery and genuinely impactful step forward. I hope this inspires other actors/film makers to do the same.ππΌππΌππΌ--Also, dayum cute af AND a pioneer for social injustice?! Fellas, take note. That's how it's done."
And in a now-deleted comment, Bennet was apparently questioned on her legitimacy to speak about Asian identity in Hollywood because she had stopped using Wang as her surname. Bennet responded.
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In the post, Bennet says that changing her surname from a Chinese one was because "I had to pay my rent and Hollywood is racist."
Bennet has addressed her name change before, but the Instagram post seemed to resonate with people. It was quickly shared across social media.
she went off
Numerous celebrities and figures in the media praised Bennet for speaking out against Hollywood's casting issues, as well as highlighting a problem many actors of color face.
Mad respect. @ChloeBennet4 for the win. β€οΈ
My name is JENNY cuz I DON'T WANT HATEFUL TONGUES BRUTALIZING THE TONES OF MY REAL NAME. @ChloeBennet4 IS NOT HERE⦠https://t.co/rwYI1DDWaY
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Dear @ChloeBennet4, how do I Iove thee? Let me count the ways! πππππβ€ #NoLiesTold https://t.co/THvfuLQ0x1
People just loved her honesty.
Chloe Bennet is a Chinese American Actress. She isn't white or white adjacent or trying to fool anyone. She's never hidden who she is.
Since the comment, Bennet hasn't said anything further on the matter but has liked Twitter posts about it.
Her reps declined to comment when contacted by BuzzFeed News but pointed to Bennet's Asian and Pacific islander advocacy group RUN as evidence of her commitment to minority representation.
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Rachael Krishna is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Contact Rachael Krishna at rachael.krishna@buzzfeed.com.
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