Gina Rodriguez Makes First Red Carpet Appearance After N-Word Backlash
Gina Rodriguez is finally stepping back in the public eye weeks after she received harsh backlash for singing along to a Fugees song that included the N-word.
The "Jane The Virgin" star hit the town for a good cause and walked the red carpet with her husband, Joe Locicero for the 2019 Baby2Baby Gala Presented by Paul Mitchell on Saturday night. The star wore a long, flowy baby blue dress that featured beautiful embroidery. She posed with Locicero and the two smiled for the cameras.
The event raised money for the popular charity that provides resources for children living in poverty. Paula Abdul, Kate Hudson, Jordana Brewster, and other celebrities were in attendance.
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What Did Gina Do?
Last month, Gina shared a video of herself rapping along to the Fugees song “Ready or Not”.
In the video, she raps along to the lyrics which included a verse that features the n-word. The actress immediately got backlash on social media and took down the video. She quickly apologized to fans, "I am sorry if I offended anyone by singing along to the Fugees, to a song I love that I grew up on. I love Lauryn Hill," Rodriguez said.
Her Social Media Apology
Shortly after outrage started to build online, the star issued a more formal explanation and apology.
"In song or in real life, the words that I spoke, should not have been spoke. I grew up loving the Fugees and Lauryn Hill. I thoughtlessly sang along to the lyrics of a favorite song, and even worse, I posted it. The word I sang, carries with it a legacy of hurt and pain that I cannot even imagine. Whatever consequences I face for my actions today, none will be more hurtful than the personal remorse I feel. Watching my own video playing back at me, has shaken me to my core. It is humiliating that this has to be a public lesson but it is indeed a much deserved lesson. I feel so deeply protective and responsible to the community of color but I have let this community down. I have some serious learning and growing to do and I am so deeply sorry for the pain I have caused."
Her Past Comments
Gina has found herself in trouble for comments she has made in the past. In January, the star appeared on the radio show, Sway's Universe on SiriusXM, where she addressed the backlash she received for her comments that she said during a discussion for NET-A-PORTER.
The star spoke about the pay gap among races and her feelings that Latina actresses are at the way bottom of the totem pole. Many thought that she was bringing down the black community to lift up her own.
“I get so petrified in this space talking about equal pay especially when you look at the intersectional aspect of it,” she said in the discussion. “Where white women get paid more than Black women, Black women get paid more than Asian women, Asian women get paid more than Latina women, and it’s like a very scary space to step into.”
The actress broke down in tears during her interview with Sway. "What I was saying, was that when we talk about equal pay, we have to talk about intersectionality because we all must rise," she said.
"We didn’t have many Latino shows and the black community made me feel like I was seen, so to get anti-black is to say I’m anti-family," she revealed. "My father is dark skin, he's Afro-Latino and my cousins are ... it's in my blood."
She continued, "I've never said anything controversial about anybody ... the black community is my community."
