Rosanna Arquette says FBI told her to make Twitter private after controversial 'white privilege' tweet
Actress also tweeted Wednesday she would 'never' stand for the American flag again
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rosanna Arquette has apologised and says she feels disgust over being born “white and privileged”.
The Pulp Fiction actress shared her feelings on the subject of her race on Twitter Wednesday, before making her account private shortly after.
“I’m sorry I was born white and privileged,” the 59-year-old said, according to screenshots of the post. “It disgusts me. And I feel so much shame.”
According to the actress, she switched her Twitter account to private the day after writing the tweet because the FBI reportedly advised her to.
"Yes, I'm locked to protect myself, I was told by the FBI to lock it up," she told The Wrap on Thursday, following backlash over the tweet.
In response to the actress’s admission that she feels guilty about her race, people had questioned what prompted the statement, as well as what Arquette hoped to achieve.
“I think someone like Rosanna Arquette believes they’re coming from a place of understanding and love,” one person wrote. “I don’t think she’s a bad person. What I do have to wonder, outside of the danger of making everything about race, where does her stance leave poor or struggling white people?”
Others said that Arquette should consider donating to foundations that benefit black Americans.
According to Arquette, the backlash has been "threatening and cruel".
However, she stands by what she said. Expanding on her original tweet, the actress told The Wrap: "I said yesterday that I am ashamed of the colour of my skin. I am privileged just because I'm white. I feel shame. Because of all the violence that is happening in America and other racist countries."
On Twitter, where Arquette describes herself as “resisting fascism on a daily basis” and also states “silence is complicity”, she frequently uses her platform to discuss her views of President Trump, who she referred to in March as perpetuating a “sick dictatorship”.
Earlier in the day Wednesday, Arquette had tweeted: “The president of the United States of America incites racist violence. The end.”
In addition to being outspoken regarding American politics, the actress was also one of the first women to accuse Harvey Weinstein of predatory behaviour.
In 2017, Arquette said her career had been negatively impacted after she refused Weinstein’s advances in the early 1990s.
After telling her story, the actress told Variety in January that she had experienced backlash over the accusation.
“I don’t have an agent, so. I think there’s backlash for sure,” she said. “There’s a lot of people that made a lot of money from him, and continue to. There’s a boys club that protects the boys. He’s just one of many men, as we’re seeing more and more men being exposed for their awful behaviour and their abuse of power.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments