KJ Apa Defends His Silence Amid the Black Lives Matter Protests

Sharing his truth. KJ Apa fired back at comedian Elijah Daniel after he called Apa’s silence amid the Black Lives Matter protests into question.

Earlier this month, a fan suggested that Daniel, 26, watch The Hate You Give Me, which stars Apa, 22, and is about police violence and brutality. The Michigan native then asked, “If KJ was the co-star of that movie why is he so silent? He has such a massive young audience and got paid to be in a movie about police brutality and … posted a black square?” He also pointed out that his criticism of the Riverdale star was “completely unrelated to the beef I formally had with him.”

The New Zealand native replied to Daniel on Sunday, June 14, writing, “I don’t need to post about my opinions and beliefs in order for them to be real to me.”

He added: “I support black lives – but I don’t feel it’s necessary to prove to people I do by posting my attendance at these protests.”

KJ Apa Defends His Silence Amid the Black Lives Matter Movement
KJ Apa Michael Buckner/Variety/Shutterstock

The rapper and the I Still Believe actor had a similar Twitter faceoff in December 2018, when Daniel threw shade at the cast of Apa’s CW series and their fans.

“Does the riverdale fanbase know the show sucks and don’t care or do they just not know,” Daniel tweeted at the time, to which Apa replied, “Do your fans know that you’re a f—kin idiot or do they just not care.”

Although Apa, whose father is Samoan, hasn’t publicly shared his opinions about the fight for equality happening worldwide, many of his Riverdale costars have marched in solidarity with the cause.

Madelaine Petsch joined castmate Cole Sprouse, who has been quarantining with Apa in Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic, on June 7, for a protest in L.A.

Ahead of the June walk for justice, Sprouse, 27, was arrested in Santa Monica, California, on May 31 following George Floyd’s death while in police custody.

“There’s a clear need to speak about the circumstances: Black Lives Matter. Peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest,” the former Disney Channel star wrote via Instagram following his arrest. “I was detained when standing in solidarity, as were many of the final vanguard within Santa Monica.”

Sprouse, who split from costar Lili Reinhart last month, is one of many celebrities using their voice to make a difference during the worldwide call for equality. Ariana Grande, Halsey and more stars have marched to call for action and the stop of violence against the black community.

For more information, visit Blacklivesmatter.com.

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source: usmagazine.com