Rebel Wilson took to Twitter on Monday to apologize for blocking critics after being challenged in her claim that she is the first plus-size woman to have a starring role in a major romantic comedy.
The actress said in an appearance last week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she is the “first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy.” Wilson stars opposite Liam Hemsworth in the upcoming film Isn’t It Romantic.
The initial criticisms began when a Twitter user wrote that Wilson isn’t the first plus-size actress to star in a romantic comedy, pointing out that Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique have both played leading characters in the genre. The social media user was referring to Latifah’s roles in The Last Holiday and Just Wright and Mo’Nique’s role in Phat Girlz.
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Wilson responded to the tweet by writing, “I of course know of these movies but it was questionable as to whether: 1. Technically those actresses were plus size when filming those movies or 2. Technically those films are categorized/billed as a studio rom-com with a sole lead. So there’s a slight grey area.”
Many Twitter users responded to the actress’s tweet and accused her own ignoring the achievements of black women. Wilson then blocked a number of the social media users that criticized her.
Mo’Nique addressed Wilson’s original tweet on Saturday by writing, “Let’s please not allow this business to erase our talent with giving grey areas and technicalities. Take a moment and know the history. DON’T BE A PART OF ERASING IT. I wish you the best.”
Wilson later responded to the criticisms on her personal Twitter account. “In a couple of well-intentioned moments, hoping to lift my fellow plus sized women up, I neglected to show the proper respect to those who climbed this mountain before me like Mo’Nique, Queen Latifah, Melissa McCarthy, Ricki Lake and likely many others,” she wrote. “With the help of some very compassionate and well-thought out responses from others on social media, I now realize what I said was not only wrong but also incredibly hurtful. To be part of a problem I was hoping I was helping makes it that much more embarrassing & hard to acknowledge.
“I blocked people on Twitter because I was hurting from the criticism, but those are the people I actually need to hear from more, not less,” she continued in the thread. “Again, I am deeply sorry.”
In a couple of well-intentioned moments, hoping to lift my fellow plus sized women up, I neglected to show the proper respect to those who climbed this mountain before me like Mo’Nique, Queen Latifah, Melissa McCarthy, Ricki Lake and likely many others.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) November 5, 2018
With the help of some very compassionate and well-thought out responses from others on social media, I now realize what I said was not only wrong but also incredibly hurtful. To be part of a problem I was hoping I was helping makes it that much more embarrassing & hard to-
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) November 5, 2018
acknowledge. I blocked people on Twitter because I was hurting from the criticism, but those are the people I actually need to hear from more, not less. Again, I am deeply sorry.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) November 5, 2018
