Eiza Gonzalez, who starred in Baby Driver and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, has apologized for wearing blackface in a telenovela made years before her breakout Hollywood roles. Screenshots of her time on the Mexican series Lola, erase una vez recently surfaced on Twitter after the 30-year-old actress was seen vacationing with Timothee Chalamet. Gonzalez noted she was only 15 at the time she worked on the series and said she is “deeply sorry and ashamed” about once wearing blackface.
“As a 15-year-old child actor on my first job in a Mexican telenovela, I was pressured against my will, and with no negotiating power, I could not advocate for myself in the situation,” Gonzalez said in a statement to Page Six Wednesday. “I wish I had the voice and knowledge then that I have now.” Gonzalez also acknowledged photos of herself dressed as a geisha, which were taken during a trip to Japan.
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“The other image in question is from a trip I took to Japan,” the Alita: Battle Angel star explained. “According to my host, it is considered an intercultural exchange to dress up in their traditional clothing and makeup. It is seen as an appreciation of their culture, however, I understand that out of context, this calls for a dialogue about contemporary cultural appropriation.”
Gonzalez noted that as a “Mexican woman and an immigrant,” she has faced “racism and ignorance” during her career. “I would never intentionally participate in anything that I knew would cause harm or distress to another person,” she continued. “More than gestures of apology, it is my responsibility to educate myself and use my voice to stand up for others. And again I deeply apologize for hurting anyone.”
The photos resurfaced on Twitter after TMZ published photos of 24-year-old Chalamet kissing Gonzalez during a trip to Cabo San Lucas with Lily-Rose Depp. Some of Chalemet’s fans tweeted the screenshots directly to him. “So Timothée Chalamet is apparently hanging out and kissing Eiza González in Cabo [right now],” one Twitter user wrote in a now-deleted message. “She has worn blackface and culturally appropriates without apologizing. I’m sorry but that ain’t it.”
Gonzalez, who was born in Mexico City, shot to fame in Mexico for playing the title role in Lola, erase una vez, which ran for over 200 episodes from 2007 to 2008. She gained attention in Hollywood when she was cast as Santanico Pandemonium in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series in 2014. That part led to roles in Jem and the Holograms, Baby Driver and Welcome to Marwen. She played Madam M in Hobbs & Shaw and has a role in the upcoming monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong.
