Ellie Kemper has shared a statement on her official social media handle, addressing her 1999 participation in a Missouri ball with a “racist, sexist and elitist past.” This is coming after she received backlash over the pageant she won in 1999. The pageant was hosted by an organization with a controversial history.
Ellie Kemper spoke out about her past participation in a controversial Missouri debutante ball as a young teenage girl.
Last week, the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actress came under fire when photos surfaced of her being crowned the “Queen of Love and Beauty” at the Veiled Prophet Ball (now called the Fair Saint Louis) in 1999.
The Veiled Prophet Organization was originally co-founded in the late 1800s by former Confederate officer Charles Slayback and other prominent white St. Louisans, who only permitted white people to participate up until 1979.
The Bridesmaids actress became a trending topic on Twitter after a 1999 newspaper article resurfaced on social media, detailing her win at the Veiled Prophet Ball in St. Louis, Miss.
According to the article, Kemper, who was 19 at the time and has yet to publicly address the scandal, was crowned the “Queen of Love and Beauty” at the event, making her the 105th “young woman to be so honored by the Veiled Prophet organization.”
Ellie Kemper took to her social media handle to addressed the situation, saying:
“Hi guys, when I was 19 years old, I decided to participate in a debutante ball in my hometown,” she began. “The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist and elitist past. I was not aware of the history at the time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved.”
“I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy,” she continued. “At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards.”
Addressing the backlash she received, the actress wrote, “There is a very natural temptation when you become the subject of internet criticism, to tell yourself that your detractors are getting it all wrong. But at some point last week, I realized that a lot of the forces behind the criticism are forces that I’ve spent my life supporting and agreeing with.”
“I believe strongly in the values of kindness, integrity and inclusiveness. I try to live my life in accordance with these values. If my experience is an indication that organizations and institutions with pasts that fall short of these beliefs should be held to account, then I have to see this experience in a positive light.”
Kemper ended her own statement on Monday with an apology.
“I want to apologize to the people I’ve disappointed, and I promise that moving forward I will listen, continue to educate myself, and use my privilege in support of the better society I think we’re capable of becoming,” she wrote. “Thanks for reading this.”