Alia Shawkat Issues Apology for Racial Slur Used in 2016

Search Party‘s Alia Shawkat has issued an apology for using a racial slur during a South By Southwest interview back in 2016.

The out-of-context quote from the interview is as follows: “I mean, everyone was so excited when we all came back, like we were all in the penthouse together and everyone was looking around like, ’n—- we made it.’ You know what I mean?”

Well, the clip resurfaced on June 5 when a fan pointed it out, and Alia issued an apology on June 8.

“I am writing this to address a video of me quoting a song with the n-word in it as part of an interview 4 years ago. I am deeply sorry and take full responsibility. … I regret using a word that carries so much pain and history to black people, as it was never a word to be used by someone who is not black,” Alia posted. “I have been learning so much about what it truly means to be an ally. The voices of black people must be amplified and heard clearly. As an Arabic woman, who can pass for white, I’m working hard to process this nuanced access I’ve been afforded and I realize how important it is to be hyper vigilant in the spaces I exist in.”

Alia has been making headlines for weeks before this incident for who she has been hanging out with.