Donald Trump, Stacey Dash Slam Oscars 2016 Boycott
The recent news about Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith boycotting the 2016 Oscars for not nominating any black actors, as reported by Us Weekly, has brought up a lot of opinions including that of presidentiable Donald Trump and actress Stacey Dash.
The two personalities were together for an interview on "Fox and Friends," according to Chron. The two slammed the recent statements of Lee and Pinkett-Smith, who said that they will neither attend nor watch the upcoming Academy Awards for its lack of diversity as previously reported by Us Weekly.
Trump, who initially said that the nomination results made him "sad," as quoted by Chron, also argued that the BET Awards are also doing the same by not nominating any white people.
"I saw someone on your show today saying, 'Well, what do we do with BET, Black Entertainment?' Right?" Trump said as quoted by the publication. "The whites don't get any nominations."
However, the news agency reports otherwise since the famed awards show has nominated white artists like Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Robin Thicke and Sam Smith.
However, Trump's statements were supported by Dash, per the Daily Mail. The actress explained that if some people dislike segregation, then shows like BET and BET Awards shouldn't exist. Dash also insisted that there should be no Black History Month, the publication reports.
After their statements circulated, the news agency reported that BET Networks CEO Debra Lee made a statement dismissing the claims of Trump and Dash. "Through our award shows and programming we have recognized incredible talent that simply does not get recognized elsewhere," Lee said as quoted by the news outlet.
"African American contributions to American culture are countless and we cannot and should not wait for anyone to acknowledge them," she added. Meanwhile, as the statements gain a lot of traction, the publication reported that Dash, who is known for her role in "Clueless," has since then rose up to becoming a Fox News contributor.
The news comes after Lee and Pinkett-Smith both announced via social media that since the Oscars 2016 only nominated white actors for two straight years, they would be boycotting the awards show. The two announced it on the same day that Martin Luther King Jr. was being remembered for his birthday, Us Weekly reported.
The anticipated Chris Rock-hosted 2016 Oscars will air on ABC on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. EST, the publication reported.
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