Lee Daniels says racism isn’t ‘real’ because he doesn’t ’embrace’ it
During an interview on "The Real," Lee Daniels said racism isn't real to him because he never "embraced" it, and credits it for his success in Hollywood.
During an interview on “The Real” that aired Tuesday, Lee Daniels said racism isn’t real to him because he never “embraced” it and credits it for his TV and film success in Hollywood.
“I wouldn’t be where I was if I embraced racism. If I embraced it, then it became real. And if it became real, I would be an angry black man,” Daniels said during a segment discussing recent controversy over a black Santa Clause at the Mall of America.
“I’ve been in denial about,” he added, in response to the current state of race relations in the country.
Daniels, who is openly gay, also said that for his children, the concept of race is “incomprehensible” because they grew up with both a black and white father.
The “Empire” creator and producer also talked about his new series, “Star,” and explained why he chose a white woman as the show’s lead protagonist.
“I thought that instinctively, the country needed to heal,” Daniels said. “And I think that this white girl is so fabulous that black people will embrace her, and white people will embrace her.”
