KJ Apa responds to accusation of being 'silent' on BLM after starring in police brutality film
KJ Apa is responding to criticism that he's not speaking out more in support of the Black Lives Matter protests.
Following nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, many have taken to social media to condemn police brutality and express support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
On June 1, the "Riverdale" star posted a black square on Instagram along with the hashtag "#blackouttuesday." The post was part of a viral Instagram campaign where users posted black squares to call attention to the deaths of Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police.
Comedian Elijah Daniel, however, took to Twitter to accuse Apa of not speaking out more, highlighting that the actor appeared in the 2018 film "The Hate U Give" about a Black teenager shot and killed by a white police officer and ensuing protests.
"i love that movie but i do have a question," wrote the comedian. "if KJ was the co-star of that movie why is he so silent? he has such a massive young audience and got paid to be in a movie about police brutality and ... posted a black square?"
Regina Hall, Algee Smith and Issa Rae, who also appeared in "The Hate U Give," have posted several times on social media about police brutality in the wake of Floyd's death, and the film's director George Tillman Jr. tweeted that the movie has been made available for free on digital platforms, saying, "We must stand up for what we believe. The time for change is now!"
On Sunday, the "Riverdale" star fired back at Daniel, saying he doesn't need to put his views on social media to prove that they're genuine.
"I don’t need to post about my opinions and beliefs in order for them to be real to me," he wrote. "I support black lives - but I don’t feel it’s necessary to prove to people I do by posting my attendance at these protests."
The same day, Apa also shared a video to his Instagram story of the late rapper Tupac Shakur in 1993.
"White folks see us as thugs," the rapper says in the video. "I don't care if you think you a lawyer, if you a man, if you an African American, if you whatever the (expletive) you think you are, we thugs and (expletives) to these (expletives)."
Paste BN has reached out to Apa's reps for further comment.
Apa's "Riverdale" co-star Cole Sprouse has documented his experience protesting on social media.
On June 1, Sprouse wrote on Instagram that he was arrested while protesting in Santa Monica, California, and that he considers "peace, riots, looting" to be "an absolutely legitimate form of protest."
According to Sprouse, he was "standing in solidarity" with protesters when the crowd was warned they would face arrest if they did not retreat. Many turned to leave, the actor wrote, but another line of police officers blocked their route.
Shortly after, police began restraining protesters with zip ties, Sprouse added.
"It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement," he continued. "This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me, and I hope the media doesn’t make it such."
Contributing: George Dinges
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