Rita Moreno has issued an apology after defending Lin-Manuel Miranda’s after he received backlash over the lack of Afro-Latino presentation in his In The Heights film. She appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote her new documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It that was produced by Miranda when she discussed her thoughts on the backlash.
Since then, she’s changed her tune. “I’m incredibly disappointed with myself,” she writes on Twitter.”While making a statement in defense of Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Colbert Show last night, I was clearly dismissive of black lives that matter in our Latin community. It is so easy to forget how celebration for some is lament for others.”
Rita Moreno admits she was “dismissive of black lives” and changes her tune
I’m incredibly disappointed with myself. While making a statement in defense of Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Colbert Show last night, I was clearly dismissive of black lives that matter in our Latin community. It is so easy to forget how celebration for some is lament for others.
— Rita Moreno (@TheRitaMoreno) June 17, 2021
She continues, “In addition to applauding Lin for his wonderful movie version of In The Heights, let me add my appreciation for his sensitivity and resolve to be more inclusive of the Afro-Latino community going forward. See, you CAN teach this old dog new tricks – RITA.”
RELATED: Rita Moreno Defends Lin-Manuel Miranda Over ‘In the Heights’ Lack Of Representation
https://twitter.com/TheRitaMoreno/status/1405322955026993157
While on The Late Show, she lamented the fact that there’s no escaping criticism when in Hollywood, especially in this day and age. “You can never do right, it seems,” she said at the time. “This is the man who literally has brought Latino-ness and Puerto Rican-ness to American. I couldn’t do it. I’d love to say I did but I couldn’t. Lin-Manuel has done that really single-handedly.”
She continued, “There’s a lot of people who are Puerto Rican who are also from Guatemala who are dark and who are also fair. We are all colors in Puerto Rico. This is how it is. It would be so nice if they hadn’t come up with that and left it alone, just for now. They’re really attacking the wrong person.”
As for Miranda, he issued a public apology, admitting he “fell short” but is proud of what he created and promised to do better in whatever comes next.
