NEW YORK, Aug. 23 (UPI) — Good Morning America co-host Amy Robach issued an apology for using the term “colored people” while referring to Zendaya‘s upcoming role as Mary Jane Watson in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
On Monday’s show, Robach was discussing “whitewashing” in Hollywood — casting white people in roles that should be played by people of color — when she used the antiquated put-down.
“We all know Hollywood has received recent and quite a bit of criticism for casting white actors in what one might assume should be a role reserved for colored people,” Robach said.
Robach faced instant backlash on social media and later said she meant to use the term “people of color.”
“This morning during a segment about Hollywood casting, I mistakenly said ‘colored people’ instead of ‘people of color.’ I sincerely apologize. It was a mistake and is not at all a reflection of how I feel or speak in my everyday life,” she said in a statement.
Zendaya has reportedly been cast to play Peter Parker’s love interest, Mary Jane Watson, in the reboot coming July 2017.
