HBO responds to allegations of extra on 'Lovecraft Country' claiming her skin was darkened

HBO addressed the claim made by an extra alleging that her skin colour was darkened using makeup during the making of the show Lovecraft Country. The American TV network has told in a statement that they were "very disappointed" to learn of the claims by actor Kelli Amirah and was taking steps that "this doesn't happen in the future". Kelli Amirah had originally posted on Twitter where she narrated the entire incident. She was reportedly cast to play a younger version of a character in a wedding photo that appeared in one episode.

Kelli Amirah claims she was "blackfaced" on HBO's Lovecraft Country

Kelli Amirah claimed that the make-up artists for Lovecraft Country significantly "darkened" her skin on set with foundation so she could appear like the older version of a character she portrayed. She said she had "no idea" they were going to do this to her, but she kept quiet as she felt uncomfortable speaking up. Her recent TikTok video detailing her experience went viral on social media, with many sharing her story on their Twitter handles as well. In other videos, she also shared, "As soon as we wrapped I went right back to hair and makeup to ask for some makeup wipes because I refused to go out in the world like that." 

In her Twitter thread, Amirah also responded to claims saying she was complacent in letting the show darken her skin. She wrote, "It’s uncomfortable but it’s not wrong. I was weak and complacent at that moment". She said that while she learnt that this incident triggered the issue of colourism in the country, she highlighted that the entertainment industry "needs to do better". "I need to do better, I didn’t show up in the way I should have, and again, I’m sorry for that," she wrote. Here's a look at her video explaining her ordeal in the make-up chair.

More about Lovecraft Country on HBO

Lovecraft Country had wrapped up its first season in October 2020. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff and follows the journey of two childhood friends across 1950s America with Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States, in search of a missing father. Lovecraft Country's cast includes Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Jonathan Majors, Aunjanue Ellis, Abby Lee and Michael Kenneth Williams and others. In India, the series airs on Disney+ Hotstar.