Rebel Wilson Apologizes For Blocking Black Critics Of Her Plus-Sized Rom-Com Statement

Not only is it smart to watch what you say on social media, but also what you do. Rebel Wilson is learning that the hard way. The controversy over comments she made last week about her new movie, the meta-rom-com Isn’t It Romantic, has gone next-level. Those who called her out, many of them black, are now calling her out again, this time because she’s blocked them on Twitter. She has since apologized.

The storm began last week when Wilson was on Ellen, shilling for her film, due on Valentine’s Day and in which she plays a woman whose bopped on the head and awakens inside a romantic-comedy motion picture — Wilson said, “I’m kinda proud to be the first plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy.”

Here’s where we adopt our best Ron Howard narration voice and add, “She wasn’t.” Wilson seemed to forget various Queen Latifah rom-coms, like The Last Holiday (2006) and Just Wright (2010), as well as the 2006 Mo’Nique vehicle called Phat Girlz. Numerous people on called Wilson out directly on social media.

The back-and-forth started out collegially, more or less. When confronted by one person, Wilson replied, “Yeah, I of course know of these movies. But it was questionable as to whether: 1. Technically those actresses were plus size when filming those movies or 2. Technically those films are categorized/billed as a studio rom-com with a sole lead. So there’s a slight grey area.”

https://twitter.com/RebelWilson/status/1058129473562804224

But that only made it worse. Oscar-winner Mo’Nique herself stepped into the fray to politely but firmly correct Wilson.

It was a true teachable moment. Except Wilson seems to have punished her teachers. One by one, those who had called Wilson out over her comments revealed they had since been blocked by the actress on Twitter. Those she’s blocked even started a hashtag — #RebelWilsonBlockedMe — and started making party plans.

https://twitter.com/Nabela/status/1058568311439536128

https://twitter.com/IWriteAllDay_/status/1058537693770969088

It’s not uncommon for celebrities to kneejerk hit the block button when they’re being roundly criticized, but it’s safe to say this does not look good. Wilson seemed to sense that, too. She has since apologized and tried to make this right.

https://twitter.com/RebelWilson/status/1059590119009599489

(Via IndieWire)