Priyanka Chopra apologizes after 'refugee' shirt prompts Twitter backlash
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has issued an apology in response to heavy backlash after she appeared on a magazine cover wearing a shirt many found offensive.
The Quantico star appears on the cover of the latest edition of Conde Nast Traveller India wearing a shirt that features the crossed out words “refugee,” “immigrant,” and “outsider” with the word "traveller" at the bottom.
Speaking to Indian news channel NDTV, Chopra said, “I’m really apologetic about the fact that so many sentiments were hurt... I'm someone who always stands for no labels."
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Of the intended message of the shirt, Chopra added, "it got misconstrued, and I'm sorry people saw it like that and they saw it on me."
The magazine was less contrite in an editorial defending the shirt:
It’s about how our labelling of people as immigrants, refugees and outsiders is creating a culture of xenophobia. We are allowing thousands of innocent people who are forced to cross borders due to unimaginable terror and atrocities to be treated without humanity and empathy. It’s about how we are allowing some powerful leaders to build barriers that make it more difficult for bright, motivated and hardworking people to see more of the world, learn from it and make it better for us all.
The magazine published the column on October 10, a few days after the cover debuted on October 7. But Twitter users have been crying foul since then, prompting Chopra to make her apology.
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Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
