Haitian-American actress and producer Garcelle Beauvais is speaking out against the recent wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric aimed at the Haitian community.
Former President Donald Trump and his 2024 running mate, J.D. Vance, have falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are kidnapping and eating pets.
During a recent debate with Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump repeated the baseless conspiracy.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said in response to a question about immigration.
Beauvais, star of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, took to social media on Sunday, Sept. 15, to respond to Trump’s claims.
Related: Garcelle Beauvais to Produce New ‘Black Girl Missing’ Movies for Lifetime
“Staying silent in the face of racism and hate is something that I refuse to do,” she said. “This past week, the lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community — about my community — have been disgusting, deeply hurtful, and dangerous.”
Beauvais emphasized that her response goes beyond politics.
“It’s about humanity,” she said. “We must condemn this kind of hatred, this kind of racism, for anyone.”
The actress also spoke of her heritage, saying, “I have always been a proud Haitian immigrant. Coming to America, working hard — that’s what we do.”
“Coming from gratitude,” she added, “I will not sit by and let people talk about my community in any way they want for their own gain.”
In the caption for her post, Beauvais said: “The madness has got to stop.”
Her comments come as the conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants has trended on social media, leading to at least 33 bomb threats in Springfield, according to the Associated Press.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine debunked the claims on Monday and announced increased security measures in response to the threats. State police are being stationed at city schools, with security cameras and a bomb-sniffing dog available 24/7.
Beauvais, who is also known for her roles on The Jamie Foxx Show, NYPD Blue, Coming to America, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, ended her video with a bilingual message, encouraging everyone to vote.
“This has got to stop… we can’t just sit by,” she urged. “Register to vote. We have 50-something days. Go out and vote. We need to stop this chaos.”
According to IMDb, Beauvais immigrated to the United States from Saint-Marc, Haiti, at the age of seven with her mother and sisters.
Watch the video here:
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