“I love my Ellie ??, Oh, & P.S. Next time, just ask mepersonally, I’ll inform you what to do,” the Broadway star, 42, captioned a repost of the statement Kemper, 41, shared via Instagram on Monday, June 7.
The Bridesmaids celebrity was thankful for her colleague’s support, commenting,”I adore you Tituss ??????.”
Last month, a photo of 19-year-old Kemper being crowned the”Queen of Love and Beauty” in the 1999 Veiled Prophet ceremony in St. Louis went viral. The company, which functions in Missouri, holds a debutante ball every year and is thought to have historically excluded Black people from becoming members.
After the photo resurfaced, the company defended its practices in a statement to USA Today, noting,”Our organization believes in and promotes inclusion, equality and diversity for this region. We absolutely reject racism and haven’t partnered or correlated with any company that harbors these beliefs.”
Kemper, for her role, dealt with the controversy via sociable networking in an extended announcement on Monday, apologizing for her involvement in the ceremony. When she attended the ball, she was a freshman at Princeton University.
“The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist and elitist ago,” the Office alum wrote. “I wasn’t aware of this history in the time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before becoming involved.”
The My Squirrel Days writer contended that she”unequivocally” disavows racism and white supremacy, acknowledging the company’s history didn’t impact her at the time”because of my race and my innocence.”
Her apology continued:”I believe strongly in the values of kindness, integrity and inclusiveness. I try to live my life in accordance with these values. … I wish to apologize to the folks I have disappointed, and I guarantee that moving ahead I will hear, continue to educate myself, and use my privilege in service of this better society I think we’re capable of becoming.”
“You’re known and loved,” Alec Baldwin commented on Kemper’s statement.
Community’s Yvette Nicole Brown praised the Secret Life of Pets celebrity for taking ownership of her mistakes. “Thanks for taking the time to apologize, Ellie,” she remarked. “And for realizing that though you didn’t know about the white supremacy origins of the business, fans of yours — that are still affected by the myth of white supremacy to this day — had to hear that you realize it had been hurtful for us to learn about everything and that you’re sorry that you took part. #Ally ??.”
