‘You’re only up for a Golden Globe because you’re white and your dad’s Phil Collins’: Emily in Paris star Lily Collins caught up in a race-hate storm with furious fans of snubbed I May Destroy You actress Michaela Coel
- Lily Collins targeted by online trolls after being nominated for a Golden Globe
- Trolls believed that I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel was unfairly overlooked
- Trolls claim Lily Collins was picked for being white and daughter of Phil Collins
Emily In Paris star Lily Collins has found herself at the centre of a race storm after she was nominated for a prestigious Golden Globe award ahead of a black actress.
The 31-year-old was targeted by online trolls who felt Michaela Coel had been unfairly overlooked for her role in the ground-breaking BBC drama I May Destroy You.
In a barrage of social media posts, they claimed that Ms Collins was shortlisted because she is white, while Ms Coel missed out because she is black. Cyber-bullies also alleged that Ms Collins was nominated simply because she has a famous father – pop star Phil Collins.
Netflix’s Emily In Paris is also up for best comedy series, but the critically acclaimed I May Destroy You did not receive any nominations. Within minutes of the Hollywood shortlists being revealed last Wednesday, Twitter users were alleging racism. One wrote: ‘If you don’t think white supremacy is real, Emily In Paris is nominated for a Golden Globe.’
Emily In Paris star Lily Collins (pictured) has found herself at the centre of a race storm after she was nominated for a prestigious Golden Globe award ahead of a black actress
Another said: ‘What people don’t understand about racism is that it’s not a by-product. The globes panel didn’t nominate I May Destroy You because they didn’t think it was good because Michaela is black and thought Emily In Paris was good because Lily Collins is white. They KNOW which was better!’
And another added that ‘Lily Collins being here is pure nepotism and racism.’ One even outrageously made the false claim that Ms Collins had paid for her nomination.
Ms Collins has previously acknowledged her privilege. Amid protests over the death of George Floyd after he was restrained by police in Minneapolis last year, she wrote: ‘I am white, I am privileged. I will never experience what black people in America go through every single day, but I am listening and I am learning. I march with you and will fight with you.’
She is also a celebrity ambassador for Bystander Revolution, the anti-bullying organisation set up by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
In an irony that may have been lost on the trolls, Ms Collins and Ms Coel would never have been vying for the same prize anyway as Emily In Paris is eligible in the musical or comedy categories, while I May Destroy You falls under the drama section.
Cyber-bullies also alleged that Ms Collins was nominated simply because she has a famous father – pop star Phil Collins (pictured)
Amid the backlash the actress stepped out with her fiancé Charlie McDowell in Pasadena on Saturday
Lily wore a low-key tan jacket over a plain white shirt that was tied off above her midriff and high-waisted jeans
Meanwhile, Emily In Paris writer Deborah Copaken may have inadvertently fuelled the backlash against her own show’s star when she also took to Twitter to tell of her own shock at Ms Coel’s failure to secure a nomination.
Addressing the actress, she said: ‘I was a writer on Emily In Paris, but your show was my favourite show since the dawn of TV and this is just wrong. I loved I May Destroy You, and I thank you personally for giving us your heart, your mind, your resilience and your humour.’
The ten-part Emily In Paris, which was hailed by some as the natural successor to Sex And The City, features an American who moves to the French capital to work for a marketing firm.
It was criticised for its lack of authenticity but has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits.
…AND THE STAR THEY BELIEVED WAS SHUNNED
Michaela Coel shot to international fame with her portrayal of Arabella, a young woman who seeks to rebuild her life after being raped, in the BBC1 series I May Destroy You.
The 33-year-old actress not only starred in the drama, but created it, wrote the script and co-directed it. She was also an executive producer.
Born to Ghanaian parents in London, she has spoken about how isolation at primary school prompted her to bully some of her peers and how she still experiences racism in the UK. After university, she enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having won a bursary.
Before I May Destroy You, she created and starred in the E4 comedy Chewing Gum, winning a Bafta for her performance.
She was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and appeared in British Vogue’s list of influential women in the same year.
Last year she was among more than 3,500 film and TV professionals who signed an open letter demanding an end to ‘systemic racism’ in the industry.
Michaela Coel (pictured) shot to international fame with her portrayal of Arabella, a young woman who seeks to rebuild her life after being raped, in the BBC1 series I May Destroy You