In a highly unusual intervention, Hollywood studio chief Tom Rothman has described Donald Trump’s posting of a racist video featuring former US president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as “despicable”.
The remarks were reported by the Hollywood Reporter, and were made when Rothman was speaking at the African American Film Critics Association awards ceremony, where he accepted the Impact award on behalf of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, of which Rothman is chair and CEO.
Sony was being recognised for its pioneering commitment to mainstream black cinema, including films such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Stir Crazy and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Rothman said in his speech: “I was thinking … that in the face of the regressive and despicable video that we were subject to last week – from the leader of the free world no less – that stories like these remain ever more urgent and important.”
He added: “We’re very grateful to the creators who trust us with those stories and to audiences around the world … It feels kind of silly for the old white dude to be standing up here accepting this award as it belongs to all the people at the motion picture group – one that I’m very proud to say is a diverse and inclusive group.”
Trump has since deleted the video, and blamed aides for not watching it, but its posting on Thursday triggered widespread outrage across the political spectrum for its depiction of the Obamas as cartoon apes. Before its deletion, the video was defended by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as an internet meme deriving from The Jungle Book and The Lion King.
