Michelle Rodriguez is defending her Widows co-star, Liam Neeson, saying the actor can’t be racist because of the way he kissed Viola Davis in the film.
Rodriguez slammed the backlash against Neeson as “bullshit” during a red carpet interview with Vanity Fair Wednesday night at the amfAR Gala in New York.
“It’s all f–ing bullshit. Liam Neeson is not a racist,” Rodriguez said.
“Dude, have you watched ‘Widows’? His tongue was so far down Viola Davis’s throat. You can’t call him a racist ever. Racists don’t make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue — so deep down her throat. I don’t care how good of an actor you are. It’s all bullshit. Ignore it. He’s not a racist. He’s a loving man. It’s all lies,” she added.
Neeson, 66, played Davis’s husband in the 2018 heist thriller directed by Steve McQueen.
Read More: Liam Neeson’s Story About Wanting to Kill a Random Black Man Angers Fans
The actor has been under fire since Feb. 4, when an interview he did with The Independent went viral.
While promoting his new revenge film, Cold Pursuit, Neeson told the British newspaper he walked the streets armed with a club in hopes of killing a “black bastard” after a close friend said she was raped by a black man.
The following day, he defended his controversial comments on Good Morning America during a sit-down interview with Robin Roberts.
“I’m not racist,” he stated. “This was nearly 40 years ago.”
When asked if he would really have tried to kill an innocent black man. Neeson replied, “yes.”
The Irish actor’s GMA interview sparked more criticism, particularly on social media, and Lionsgate scrapped the red carpet at the New York premiere for his new film. The movie premiered at AMC Loews Lincoln Square Tuesday night as intended, but press interviews were canceled.
Neeson’s upcoming appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has also been scrapped.
