Stacey Dash claims she’s a changed woman. On Wednesday, March 10, the actress turned conservative correspondent apologized for her past divisive remarks.
During an interview with DailyMailTV, the 52-year-old claimed that her commentary, including statements that defended the “very fine people” at the 2017 Neo-Nazi rally in Virginia, resulted from her “arrogant pride and anger.” However, her skill for trashing liberal values was so good it landed her a job at FOX, a gig she happily accepted. Still, the actress said she was pinned to be “the angry black woman.”
“I’ve lived my life being angry, which is what I was on Fox News. I was the angry, conservative, Black woman, and at that time in my life, it was who I was,” Dash told the media outlet. “I realized in 2016 that anger is unsustainable, and it will destroy you. I made a lot of mistakes because of that anger.” Dash was suspended from the network in 2015 after claiming that former President Barack Obama “didn’t give a s–t” about terrorism and was subsequently fired in 2016.
In the past Dash’s commentary has left members of marginalized groups, including the Black community, bewildered after calling for the shutdown of celebratory events including Black media network BET and Black History Month.
“There are things that I am sorry for. Things that I did say, that I should not have said them the way I said them. They were very arrogant and prideful and angry. And that’s who Stacey was, but that’s not who Stacey is now. Stacey’s someone who has compassion, empathy,” she continued. “God has forgiven me. How dare I not forgive someone else. I don’t want to be judged, so how dare I judge anyone else. So if anyone has ever felt that way about me, like I’ve judged, that I apologize for because that’s not who I am.”
Dash claims her actions were not all on her. The actress attributed her conservative views to her troubled childhood growing up in the South Bronx in the ’60s and ’70s. The star revealed that her parents were teen drug addicts, her uncle was a pimp, and she was allegedly sexually abused by her babysitter.
“This idea that people think I’m coming from a place of judgement with things I believe? No, it’s experience,” she explained. “I’m from the ‘hood. The codes of the street are very conservative. If you’re not a hustler, if you don’t know how to hustle, how to make your money, you’re a lamb for the slaughter.”
Despite the “Clueless” star’s seemingly sincere attempt to take accountability for her past actions, critics were not eager to accept. They took to their social media platforms, highlighting many of the hurtful statements she has made.
Writer Kelly Wickham Hurst wrote on Twitter, “I’m just here to remind y’all that Stacey Dash said transgender people should ‘pee in the bushes’ if they ‘can’t make up their mind’ and that wasn’t an error in judgment on her part. She’s just cruel. Don’t fall for her new grift.” She later followed up with another person who stated, “Plus she affirmed that whole ‘fine people on both sides’ in Charlottesville so it’s a no from me, dawg.”
Several other people suggested that since being dropped by FOX and unable to book gigs in Hollywood, Dash was left to return to the same community she so often ridiculed.
“If Trump had won, Stacey Dash wouldn’t be going on this lame ass apology tour. She knew what she signed up for. Cancelled,” another user commented.
Watch the full interview here.
