Priyanka Chopra Jonas Finally Addresses The Backlash From The Activist
It's not often that television shows can spark widespread outrage before seeing the light of day, but that's exactly what's happened with the controversial CBS reality competition "The Activist," which was scrapped from the network's lineup this week following widespread complaints about its premise. Now one of its hosts is speaking out.
Indian actress and pageant queen Priyanka Chopra Jonas says she was excited to be one of three judges to appear on the yet-to-air project, but now she's being forced to save face and defend herself following all of the backlash that the show has garnered. Chopra Jonas was supposed to star on "The Activist" alongside Usher and "Dancing with the Stars" cast member Julianne Hough, with whom she'd be a judge. The trio was going to listen to various activists talk and plead their cases about subjects near and dear to their hearts. If they were convincing enough, the contestants would get the opportunity to lobby members of the G20 summit.
The idea didn't sit well with social media users, with many lashing out at Chopra Jonas and others involved. The 39 year old remained quiet about the controversy at first, but finally took to her own social media pages on Thursday, September 17 to explain herself.
'The show got it wrong'
Speaking in an Instagram post, Chopra Jonas described how it was never her intention to hurt people or marginalize their activism.
"The show got it wrong, and I'm sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you," she said. "The intention was always to bring attention to the people behind the ideas and highlight the actions and impact of the causes they support tirelessly. I'm happy to know that in this new format, their stories will be the highlight, and I'm proud to collaborate with partners who have their ear to the ground and know when it's time to hit pause and re-evaluate."
Chopra Jonas claimed she was "moved" by the power of people's voices on social media. "At its core, Activism is fueled by cause and effect, and when people come together to raise their voice about something, there is always an effect," Chopra Jonas said. "You were heard."
CBS plans to turn "The Activist" into a documentary, which will address the controversy and outrage surrounding it. Julianne Hough blasted the reality show earlier in the week, saying she "wholeheartedly" agreed that its subject matter was tasteless and offensive. She also pointed out how she was "not qualified to act as a judge" on activism. It's unclear when CBS plans to air "The Activist" doc.