Actress Allison Williams was slammed on social media for making a series of race-related jokes that some viewers said were racist and offensive while presenting an award during Sunday night’s MTV Movie & TV Awards.
Williams walked on stage alongside her Get Out co-star Lil Rel Howery to present the Best Kiss award.
Before they announced the winners, the pair performed a skit that saw Howery jokingly stepping slowly away from Williams, as if in fear of the character the actress played in the critically-acclaimed horror film.
“What do I have to do to get back the trust?” Williams asked.
The actress then suggested several ideas that might help her regain the confidence of the black community, like making it “illegal to ask ‘Can I touch your hair?'” and offering to replace George Washington’s face on Mount Rushmore with the face of actor Denzel Washington.
Howery turned down both ideas.
Williams then suggested putting Beyonce’s latest album, “Lemonade,” on Spotify, to which Howery agreed.
But the jokes didn’t go over well with several social media users, many of them accusing Williams of racism and failing to check her “white privilege.”
Those racial jokes were not funny, #AllisonWilliams #MTVAwards
— FLARE (@FLAREfashion) May 8, 2017
Allison Williams saying yes to the "lets make playful racist jokes" bit for the MTV awards BLOWS ME AWAY
— Kelly Keegs (@kellykeegs) May 8, 2017
Update: am now sitting on the floor watching Allison Williams make race jokes https://t.co/holn7Fm5In
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) May 8, 2017
I love that Allison Williams has become the living embodiment of white privilege.
— Luis Esteban Cabrera (@SweetLou_33) April 27, 2017
I just caught @MTV best kiss congrats @AshDSanders for his win! but #AllisonWilliams was Not funny. White privilege at its finest #Nomore
— Theresa Miller (@RealTheresaM) May 8, 2017
#AllisonWilliams did you forget you're not Marnie anymore? The racist jokes though… #MTVMovieandTVAwards2017
— Tatum Tollner (@TatumTollner) May 8, 2017
The “Best Kiss” award went to Moonlight co-stars Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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