Too many people avoided Widows for some reason. Even given Liam Neeson’s racist bulls–t this week, I would still recommend the film. In fact, now that we’re all in a place of thinking that Liam is awful, Widows is a great movie to watch because of what happens with his character (no spoilers, just watch it). Liam doesn’t have a huge role in Widows, but it’s a substantive part, and he plays Viola Davis’s character’s husband. They reportedly got along very well on and off the set, and Viola talked a lot about how important it was for to play an interracial love story with a big-time white leading man like Liam. I guess Liam never told her the story about the time he went hunting around, looking to kill any “black bastard” he met.
Liam’s Widows costar Michelle Rodiguez had some thoughts about Liam’s whole racist AF story. Michelle thinks… well, I’ll let her tell it.
Michelle Rodriguez is certain that her Widows co-star Liam Neeson is not a racist. The actress is one of the few industry insiders to publicity support Neeson since the actor gave a lightning-rod of an interview in which he admitted that decades ago, he wanted to kill a black man in order to get revenge for a friend who had been raped.
“It’s all f–kin’ bullsh-t. Liam Neeson is not a racist,” said Rodriguez at the amfAR Gala New York on Wednesday night. “Dude, have you watched Widows? His tongue was so far down Viola Davis’s throat. You can’t call him a racist ever. Racists don’t make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue—so deep down her throat. I don’t care how good of an actor you are. It’s all bullsh-t. Ignore it. He’s not a racist. He’s a loving man. It’s all lies.”
First of all, NO. Second of all, CAN WE NOT. Third of all, what is Michelle even doing here? Honey, please just stop for a second! She’s acting like there are merely “rumors” or “gossip” that Liam might have done something. No. He sat there, TWICE, and told the same f–king story about wanting to hunt down and kill any black man he saw and he didn’t even understand why the story was racist. It came out of his mouth, on the record, twice. And if the argument is “anyone who makes out with Viola Davis can’t be racist,” I’m going to say no to that too. Racist men often have sexual relationships with women of color. It’s a thing.
Photos courtesy of WENN, ‘Widows’.
Oh Michelle… sigh.
Does she know how many slave masters raped and fathered children of the enslaved women of colour.
I came on here to say just that. Thomas Jefferson? All those light-skinned house slaves?
Second!
That’s just what I was thinking.
Strom Thurman – daughter with African American housekeeper.
I am not a racist because I slept with a black man.
I am not a sexist because I slept with women.
Seriously enough with this BS excuses.
I really loved this when I read it:
“The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything.”
― scott woods
That’s great..hits on everything.
“The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that.”
Until I hit college age that’s what I believed. I would have been appalled if someone had called me a racist but I was one. Thankfully I had some amazing people in my life who helped educate me. I’m still learning, of course. I hope I never stop.
Froggy, thanks for typing in that quote. Michelle disappoints me. Sexing other racies doesn’t prove people aren’t racists. Sheesh…
Wow, that’s powerful. Thanks for posting this!
This is the most absurd, offensive and shockingly ignorant explanation of racism I have heard from a celebrity so far.
I don’t know why we even give her attention. She’s shown time and again she’s a garbage person – acknowledging her at this point is just encouraging her.
Dummy said you “have to be black” to win an Oscar in “trashy” roles and minorities should “stop stealing superheroes” when asked about her possibly portraying one of a few existing Latinx “Green Lanterns.”
So are we going to start an excuse list like many did for Neesom?
This is why we can’t have nice things.
lmao. she’s the reason i’m fat.
WTF.
Nooo, Michelle, no!
Besides, your logic isn’t helping. Shoving your tongue so far down someone else’s throat sounds rude, domineering, and shows that you do not care for your partner’s comfort.
Yikes. Where are the pr representatives.
Is there a strike?
I said something similar below! What is going on? Anyone heading to an event this week should have been briefed on possible questions on this.
Maybe the pace of media is just too fast these days for publicists to keep up? Also a lot of stars hire publicists on more of a monthly basis or on retainer so they are there when there are projects to promote and then stars aren’t paying when they’re not working. I think it’s time to re-examine the model. And PR firms need to start issuing stun guns!
Great minds think alike!
Like what is going on with these people?
Ah, yes, the “some of my best friends are black” argument. STFU Michelle. White slave owners regularly raped and fathered children with slaves. Hell, Strom Thurmond had a black daughter (read her book, it’s amazing). I’m glad she got dragged for this by Roland Martin and Shonda Rhimes.
His ability to act with a black woman doesn’t mean he can’t have racist views.
Yes, it is a thing. I went through it before.
Yiiiiiiiiikes. Missing a few historical footnotes there Michelle. Yiiiiiiikes.
Did Hollywood publicists die off in a mass extinction, or are stars just out of control?
Here I’ll write a statement for the red carpet:
“It’s really not for me to say whether he is racist, but his comments were certainly very troubling and I would never discount those who have said it caused them pain. We have very serious conversations that need to happen in today’s world. I hope we can all come together and find healing.”
There Michelle. You can have that one for free. In the alternative: silence is also free.
You’re hired! 😉
I will tweet that to Michelle!
That was my line!!!
How hard is that? Sigh.
He LITERALLY said he asked what race her attacker was and then LITERALLY said that he went out MULTIPLE times with the intention to murder a random black man.
Those aren’t lies, those are words from his actual mouth.
So he can’t be a racist because he kissed a black woman? This is one of the most horrible racist tropes out there used against black women and it has been a weak ass excuse for actual centuries. What a stupid person.
What I want to know is WHY Neesom even offered up such a hideous story on national US TV? What was the point? To cast himself as “noble” and “enlightened” because he *didn’t* ultimately act like a murderous KKK vigilante? The implication in his story is that he had “good reason” to act like a great white judge, jury & executioner of innocent black men for the crime of one black man, but his “good sense” restrained him. This is the story every racist white lynch mob has told themselves as they perpetrated horrible crimes against black people through history.
And as a woman of color (AND a possible bi/gay person), Rodriguez should be ashamed of herself for absolving someone who outed himself as fundamentally racist. It doesn’t help, Michelle! Callete la boca.
I didn’t know who she was, so I had to google her. She seems to be in the kind of movies that are of no interest to me so she was not on my radar prior to this. She also appears to be a moron. I am white, so what do I know, but the way I see it is NBPOC should stfu when it comes to racism against black people. Shutting up is free!
Someone should introduce her to Strom (sp?) Thurman’s daughter.
After explaining to her who Strom Thurman was, and his lifelong fight for segregation.
I like her as an actress but I feel like she has said problematic stuff before. Widows is great and should be seen but what Liam said/did is awful and racist. As for racists dating black women – see Strom Thurmond.
I think it’s Nikki Finney who has a great poem about Strom Thurmond dancing with a lot of black women in her family at a wedding. She was like, “No thank you.”
Stupid, racist quips is her THING.
“You have to be trashy and black to get nominated. You can’t just be trashy…,” was her “logic” behind winning an Oscar in certain roles.
“Stop stealing all the white people’s superheroes. Make up your own…,” was in repsonse to being asked about being in a Green Lantern movie, although there are WELL-ESTABLISHED minority Green Lanterns, incl JESSICA CRUZ. She didn’t have to *know* this, but that retort was ABOVE AND BEYOND…
THIS IGNORANCE IS IN HER WHEELHOUSE.
It’s the “I have black friends” argument. Totally clueless about the complexities of racism.
“I’m going to say no to that too. Racist men often have sexual relationships with women of color. It’s a thing. ”
Its not even that. Its a movie role. Its not even saying he had geniune desire for her. It would be like saying “I played Oscar Schindler so I cant be anti semitic”.
Also good on Liam to set up Viola to have to answer a lot of question about him in the future. Nice one!
I think he made his comments to distance himself from Viola Davis & McQueen. I feel he thinks the role was a mistake & he’s signaling that to white people.
Or maybe he’s just racist 🤷🏽♀️
Woah woah woah. This reasoning is as dumb as the time Republicans were FURIOUS to learn Bradley Cooper was a Democrat because he had played a man who was a Republican. He was acting in that part, and Liam was acting in Widows! He wasn’t even kissing her in, you know, their time off, it was all for filming! The role had NOTHING to do with who Liam Neeson actually is. The stupidity of her argument makes my head hurt.
Michelle-shut it.
Yup. I was thinking “Sit down.”
So Neesom can’t be racist because when asked to kiss a black woman for money he didn’t run for the hills? Sigh. This logic only makes sense if racism is defined by not wanting to touch a POC. But racism isn’t that obvious or extreme. Most racists don’t think they are racist at all. We can’t call out the stupidity of this logic without explaining that its stupidity comes from a simplistic, inaccurate definition of racism.
Fell in love with my white husband while I was youthful, idealistic and ignorant about racism. Fast forward twenty five years and now he’s a reformed racists. That’s kind of like being an alcoholic, it’s a day to day struggle. Love can conquer anything but it’s hard work.
I kinda love the idea of Neeson dating Davis though. I’d call them Deevis.
That was his JOB. He was PAID.
And regardless of any other action, he still said what he said, and was looking to kill a black man, any black man, in “revenge”. That is racist, and there’s just no way around that.
Michelle could have said any number of things that both expressed her good on set experience with him AND her discomfort at his words, but instead she chose to make the stupidest and least helpful argument. Stop, girl.
But watch Widows, it’s pretty damn good and all the performances are stellar.
Well this is a good thing. Now we can see who supports the racists while showing how ignorant they are as well.
‘Golf clap’ for you M R.
Boy, Michelle is really a total idiot, isn’t she?
Where is anyone’s PR representatives these days?
Michelle Rodriguez has proven time and again that she is not only dumb but a bigot herself. This is the woman who when called out for playing a trans person doubled down and told people to “chill out”. Everytime she opens her mouth she says something ignorant and offensive. So I’ve chosen to take her at her word and believe that’s exactly what she is: ignorant and offensive.
I mean…when you make a comment like that ignoring the GLARING historical facts that ruin your argument how else should you be described?
I think celebrities don’t feel they “need” their publicists because, “I am smart too!! I can answer questions without help!!!” Uh, no you can’t. . .and this press tour is a prime example…
Just bring your publicists with you like the “old days” — Scenarios like this would NOT happen so often, because many actors are not the sharpest pencil in the box. They THINK they are because they are coddled and told they are amazing all the time…but incidents like these prove otherwise.
WHY DOES NO ONE HAVE COMMON SENSE ANYMORE??
I watched “Widows” right before he came out with his revenge confession. Honestly, I thought he looked uncomfortable kissing Viola Davis and I wondered why. I thought maybe they didn’t get on well. Now I wonder if it was because of racism.
There are plenty of people who sleep with people of other races but still think less of that race. Just because you kiss or sleep with someone of a different race, this diesn’t mean you’re not a racist. Remember that woman a few years back who said racist things on social media and tried to justify it by claiming she wasn’t racist because she had slept with African American men? She was obviously still a racist.
I also do not think Liam is a racist. However I can not agree with Michelle’s response.
40 years ago he was ready to hunt down a innocent man based on their skin color. He condemned a whole race based on one mans wrong doing. I understand his anger, I rly do, however u can not defend that racially motivated part of his life which apparently even went on for a whole week. But still, I don’t think he is a racist.
I do believe he grew from that anger. Humans shouldn’t be judged by just one action (putting aside inhuman acts). We are more complicated than that.
This whole argument: are are saying racism resides in the gonads and tonsils now?
Cool! Getting rid of racism should be an easy fix then, just chop it all off and that’s that problem solved.
That ‘defense’ is just as ridiculous as it sounds, and I really have to question when PoC feel the need to soar in with a cape for people who don’t need their help (and in this case I particularly question her talking over two black people).
Neeson dug his own hole, and he can get out of it with his own two hands (with plenty of help from the entrenched and institutionalised racism that commonly comes into play with privileged celebrity white men).
If Viola and Steve haven’t commented, why did she feel the need to adendum?
I can’t stand MR. This is just stupidity on her part. Yeah, Liam made out with Viola for MONEY for an acting JOB. Liam Neeson is a racist. I used to like what I knew of him. Now that I know more, I don’t like him.
His takeaway moral of the story was idiotic!
OMG she’s ignorant, stupid and dumb. Stop talking…..please.