This Celeb's Halloween Costume Got Everyone Talking For All the Wrong Reasons
Probably you have already chosen a costume for the Halloween party this year.
Probably you are hoping to craft together something genius at the last moment, which – let's be honest – never happens. In any case, it won't hurt to check if your costume could offend anyone so as not to fall into an uncomfortable and hurting situation as Julianne Hough did back in 2013.
Julianne Hough got huge backlash from fans after she dressed up as Crazy Eyes, an iconic character from Orange Is The New Black, portrayed rather brilliantly by Uzo Aduba. Crazy Eyes' real name was Suzanne Warren, and she had a very vivid personality and distinctive look with a famous knotted hairstyle. Julianne Hough confessed that she was a great admirer of Orange Is The New Black, Uzo Aduba, and her character, which became the reason she chose this costume for Hallowing 2013. And though the show ended in 2019, Hough is still receiving complaints about her choice 9 years ago.
See, she didn't only wear a signature orange jumpsuit and Crazy Eyes' iconic hairstyle, but she also painted her face brown to make the resemblance to the character stronger. Wow, no wonder the dancer was accused of wearing blackface. Many fans were offended, and the costume was widely discussed in the press.
Hough published an official apology saying how sorry she was her costume hurt and offended people, and ensuring it was not her "intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way." But one apology is clearly not enough to cancel such an ignorant act and make people forget about it. Though Uzo Aduba told E! News she had no aversion to Hough and would like to move on since the dancer had apologized, other OITNB actors and fans were not that all-forgiving.
For example, Aduba's OITNB co-star Laverne Cox said Hough's costume came out of her ignorance and this lack of awareness was a much wider problem than one hurtful appearance. Sophia Burset actress also added she was not blaming Hough, but many fans continued to remind Hugh about her mishap, making her return to apologies again and again.
Since 2013, the dancer has spoken about her poor choice of Halloween costume on several occasions, and each time she said how regretful her actions were. It has become a big lesson for her, making her educate herself on white privilege and white body bias and act under her new understanding of racism and white supremacy. "Ignorance is sometimes not bliss," Hough said.