In a Friday interview with The Wrap, Julie Delpy responded to criticism over the Academy’s lack of diversity with some unfortunate comments. Delpy, who is a two-time Oscar nominee, said:
“Two years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by the media. It’s funny — women can’t talk. I sometimes wish I were African American because people don’t bash them afterward.”
She continued:
“It’s the hardest to be a woman. Femin[ism] is something people hate above all. Nothing worse than being a woman in this business. I really believe that.”
In her interview with The Wrap, Delpy was referring to comments she made two years ago about the Academy being largely white and male. At the time, Delpy was expressing frustration about feeling underappreciated as both a writer and actress. She told The Wrap that her public criticism of the Academy’s gender bias had been met with resistance from both the industry and the public.
In a Saturday night statement to Entertainment Weekly, Delpy apologized for her comments:
“I’m very sorry for how I expressed myself. It was never meant to diminish the injustice done to African American artists or to any other people that struggle for equal opportunities and rights, on the contrary. All I was trying to do is to address the issues of inequality of opportunity in the industry for women as well (as I am a woman). I never intended to underestimate anyone else’s struggle! We should stay alert and united and support each other to change this unfair reality and don’t let anyone sabotage our common efforts by distorting the truth.”
Delpy reiterated her statement, writing that she was “sorry for this unfortunate misunderstanding.” She added, “people who know me, know very well that I can’t stand inequality and injustice of any kind.”
Maybe I’m wrong or (to be frank) simply looking for more depth from an actress and writer whose movies I like, but her apology seems to suffer from the same problem as her original statements.
Image via AP.