Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty; Mike Coppola/Getty
Ben StillerthinksShaun White‘sHalloweencostume, which some have called “insensitive,” is worth defending.
In response to a Twitter user who joked thatTropic Thundershould be boycotted because of White’s actions, theMeet the Parentsstar responded, “Actually Tropic Thunder was boycotted 10 years ago when it came out, and I apologized then.”
And even though White chose to remind people of the Simple Jack character, Stiller was okay with it.
Shaun White/Instagram
In a statement given to HuffPo and TMZ on Monday, the Special Olympics called out the athlete for “[choosing] this costume which is so offensive and causes so much pain. Disability is not a joke nor should it be a punchline. We hope that Shaun White and others learn that this just continues stigma, stereotypes and discrimination.”
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Shortly after, White released a statement to PEOPLE and on social media expressing his regret.
“I owe everyone in the Special Olympics community an apology for my poor choice of Halloween costume the other night,” White said. “It was a last minute decision. It was the wrong one. The Special Olympics are right to call me out on it. They do great work supporting many tremendous athletes and I am so sorry for being insensitive. Lesson learned.”
Roy Rochlin/Getty
In the 2008 film, Simple Jack is a mentally-challenged farm boy who is picked on for his disabilities and commonly referred to as the R-word.
Ahead ofTropic Thunder’s release, advocates for the disabled protested the film.
At the time, Peter Wheeler, a spokesperson for the Special Olympics,toldReuters, “We are asking people not to go to the movie and hope to bring a consciousness to people about using derogatory words about this population.”
DreamWorks
DreamWorksdefended the films use of the R-wordand Stiller’s character at the time.
source: people.com
