RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Pearl Responds to Blackface Controversy After Dressing as Character with Darkened Skin [Photos]

BY: Walker

Published 1 year ago

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Pearl is apologizing after a look she deemed “’90s Britney-esque” took a ton of heat after many believed it to be blackface.

via: EW

After initially addressing the blackface controversy in an expiring Instagram Story, Pearl followed up her original comment with a lengthier statement on the social media site.

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“It was not my intention to do blackface, i thought the concept of the character would be clear to anyone who saw it, which was ignorant on my part, for which i am sorry,” she wrote. “Just to be clear, every aspect of the character was inspired by caucasian people, there was no black-influence going on in my mind during the time of conception. but now i see the people that inspired the character are/have been problematic, and by dressing up and parodying as them, i to am contributing to the issue in its own way, something i hadn’t thought of and don’t want to contribute to.”

Pearl also called the experience an “opportunity to grow from the experience and expand” herself creatively, and called the ordeal a “positive and safe space to learn and grow.”

Pearl posted, then deleted, a series of photos to Instagram this week showing off the new look — which featured bleached-blonde hair, a water cup, pink tracksuit and very tanned skin.

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Fans jumped on her almost immediately, calling the look tone-deaf and comparing it to blackface.

Fellow Drag Race alums The Vixen and Silky Nutmeg Ganache also addressed Pearl’s photo.

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