Alia Shawkat is 'deeply sorry' for uttering N-word in 2016 interview

Alia Shawkat is 'deeply sorry' for uttering N-word in 2016 interview

AgenciesUpdated: Wednesday, June 10, 2020, 11:50 PM IST
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Los Angeles: "Arrested Development" star Alia Shaukat has apologised for using the N-word during a 2016 interview.

The 31-year-old actor posted a statement on Twitter after the video of the interview resurfaced on social media. The word came up while she was quoting the lyrics to a song.

"I am deeply sorry and I take full responsibility. It was a careless moment, one I'm ashamed and embarrassed by, but vow to continue to learn from. I regret using a word that carries so much pain and history to black people, as it is never a word to be used by someone who is not black," Shaukat said.

The actor, who has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement after the custodial killing of George Floyd, said she is trying to learn what it means to be an ally of the community.

"I have been learning so much about what it truly means to be an ally. The voices of black people must be amplified and heard clearly.

"As an Arabic woman, who can pass for white, I'm working hard to process this nuanced access I've been afforded, and I realise how important it is to be hyper vigilant in the spaces I exist in. I have been trying to understand the real definition of the word ally," Shaukat said.

There have been widespread protests in the US after Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed African American died after white police officer Derek Chauvin handcuffed and pressed his knee into his neck. "We as non black people must all take responsibility for the inactivity we've been comfortable to sit with for so long- that has gotten us here. Silence is violence, and so are the words we irresponsibly throw out.

"I plan to stay engaged and learn from my friends who are helping me understand. And to take on this fight for justice with an active mind and open heart. I thank you for reading," the actor concluded her statement.

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