‘The Ranch’ Star Jim Beaver Posts Emotional Apology After Racially Offensive Photo Resurfaces

Actor Jim Beaver, best known for his roles in Supernatural, Deadwood, Justified, and The Ranch, apologized to fans on social media after a racially insensitive photo of him resurfaced. The picture showed Beaver with a group of fans at a convention, making his eyes look slanted. Following his Twitter apologies, Beaver also posted a video statement on YouTube, addressing the situation.

After the photo began circulating, Beaver told fans he has “fought racism since I was old enough to know what it is,” adding, “Where I have failed to do so adequately, I have fought to improve. I have never knowingly done anything offensive in my public or private life, and I remain heartily sorry if I’ve ever done such unknowingly. Peace.” One follower quickly responded, telling him writing something similar to “I’m sorry I offended you” was not “the same as apologizing for what you’ve done.” Beaver wrote back, “That is not what I said. I apologized for doing something that was offensive.”

After being criticized for the first statement, Beaver shared a second apology. “I apologize for what appears to be (and may well be) a racially insensitive photo and for shaming anyone who called me on it. I. AM. SORRY,” the actor wrote. “It’s hard for me to believe I would do such a thing, but people have been hurt whether I did or not. I am sorry.”

Beaver also went back and deleted tweets “that were hurtful” to avoid causing “further pain.” He is “not hiding them out of denial,” Beaver wrote. “I’m sure screenshots exist. If it’s important to you for more people to feel pained by them, feel free to share. But I repudiate them.”

In his seven-minute YouTube statement about the offensive photo, he said it was likely taken 10 to 12 years ago at a convention in England. He said he is “not real crazy” about the convention photo-op process, where fans are ushered through to take a quick picture with a celebrity and there is “no real rewarding time for the fans,” he said.

“At any rate, this particular photo was the subject of the tweet regarding me today,” Beaver said. “[It] appears to show me making a kind of slant-eyed gesture with my fingers.” According to Beaver, the fans “most assuredly” asked for that pose and said the fans were Asian. He did not remember the specifics behind the photo, since he goes to hundreds of conventions. Beavers admitted to making the offensive gesture and apologized once again and that he “reacted badly” when the photo resurfaced. “I hope to continue my efforts toward being a good man and I hope that all of you who were offended or who weren’t but might someday be offended by me will please forgive me,” Beaver said at the end of the video.

Beaver is best known for playing Whitney Ellsworth on Deadwood and Bobby Singer on The CW’s Supernatural. He also starred as Sheriff Shelby Parlow in FX’s Justified. He starred as Chuck Phillips in 12 episodes of Netflix’s The Ranch and was most recently seen in an episode of Young Sheldon.