Tori Spelling says she’s “truly sorry” for posting a photo to her Instagram Story of her young daughter dressed in a costume and calling her “McQuisha.”
The frequent guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race shared a photo of her eight-year-old daughter Hattie in wearing a green handkerchief on her head and Cheetos for fingernails.
“Days kept inside we have to get creative,” Spelling wrote. “Hattie has become McQuisha in her Cheeto extension nails!”
Spelling’s post didn’t go over so well with, well, anyone.
Don’t worry. Twitter is going to READ YOU for that bigoted post you made…
— ViVy Rose (@hmm_cant_relate) March 18, 2020
She needs help pic.twitter.com/CFs0GEOGgZ
— priscilla.the.koala (@PriscillaKira17) March 18, 2020
Ew, racist
— (@higherpwrisfake) March 18, 2020
Somebody already teaching stereotyping pic.twitter.com/1vUlg8nl3I
— Baygola (@Reina_Nzinga) March 18, 2020
This why your daddy left u outta the will
— Self-Checkout Bandit (@Cordelra_) March 18, 2020
Vanessa Hudgens: omg i really fucked up
Tori Spelling: pic.twitter.com/PW1g0kL7Dn
— Eric Haywood (@EricHaywood) March 19, 2020
Following the backlash, Spelling posted another Instagram Story apologizing for the photo and saying she got the idea from watching old episodes of Martin:
“I posted a story the other day that upset many of you. I’m truly sorry. That was NOT the intention at ALL. Hattie is 8. We watch and adore old reruns of Martin… She made up that name with “Mc” bc her last name is McDermott… She was reenacting the over the top fun and amazing character from Martin. She is innocent and I didn’t mean anything by it. I should have thought about how it could have been perceived and misconstrued before I posted. I did not. I’m truly sorry.”
She probably could’ve left that part about Martin out.
Spelling is right about one thing, though. Her eight-year-old daughter is innocent in all this, which is why we’ve chosen not to include the photo in this post. And it does sound like Spelling understands what she did was wrong. Here’s hoping she does better–much better–in the future.
Related: OP-ED: Here’s what we can learn from gay plus-size model Michael McCauley’s racist posts
xanadude
So…. we are saying that “McQuesha” is a racist name because it couldn’t possibly belong to a white girl? WHO’s being racist??
Chris
Which, if you really think about it, those who are getting upset are only reinforcing the stereotype by acknowledging the goofy-ass name belongs to an African-American girl. I assure you If she put a blonde wig on her daughter. Made her wear a polyester dress and called her “Marsha” (ala The Brady Bunch) I’d laugh my ass off taking ownership of the white-bread stereotype.
JaredNorthcutt30
Does this mean that Queerty will stop publishing photos of kiddie drag queens who unknowingly partake in misogynistic tropes? Makes you wonder.
ScottOnEarth
How stupid. One ill-advised comment doesn’t make her a racist. I love Tori and always will.
davidkit
I wonder if people would be so upset if she said her daughter’s name was Mary? A name is sometimes just a name people. Don’t get your panties in a wad over something so utterly innocent. Get over it and move on – there are much bigger things to concern yourselves with. I support you, Tori!
avesraggiana
What are Cheetos?