YouTube star and Teen Choice Award winner Kian Lawley has been dropped from the upcoming film, The Hate U Give, after video of him using the N-word surfaced back in January.
if u don’t learn from ur mistakes, u can never grow as a person.
i’ve learned a lot & i am grateful to have the power to change. i never want to be who i was yesterday. we’re in a constant battle to become a better version of ourselves, use ur voice as ur weapon.
— Kian Lawley (@KianLawley) February 4, 2018
A spokesperson for Twentieth Century Fox Films said in a statement,
“Due to the controversy surrounding his past comments and behavior, Kian Lawley will no longer appear in The Hate U Give. The studio plans to recast the role of Chris and reshoot scenes as needed.”
Ironically, the movie is based on the 2017 novel of the same name that was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Written by Angie Thomas, the book centers on 16-year-old Starr Carter, a young girl pulled to activism after witnessing her unarmed best friend be killed by the police.
The book juxtaposes the realities of Starr’s poor Black neighborhood and the white prep school she attends.
Teen activist Amandla Stenberg is set to play Starr. Kian was to play her boyfriend, Chris, but now his scenes will be cut.
Unfortunately, the book’s author has been receiving some pretty harsh backlash from Kian’s supporters.
I've been hurt severely. But please, make me the bad guy. Please, call out black women and attack us. You have no clue what I'm dealing with.
— Angie Thomas (@angiecthomas) February 5, 2018
Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, Algee Smith, Lamar Johnson and Common also co-star in the film.
[via Complex]
