'The Onion' Apologizes To Best Actress Oscar 2013 Nominee Quvenzhane Wallis for 'C' Word Tweet
The Onion apologized Monday to Academy Award Best Actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis for calling the 9-year-old a derogatory term on social media.
The satirical newspaper received backlash after they wrote the following offensive comment: "Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhane Wallis is kind of a [c-word], right?"
A writer for the publication posted the comment on Twitter on Sunday night and removed it an hour later after the tweet garnered criticism.
On Monday, the newspaper's CEO Steve Hannah issued a statement about the "crude and offensive" comment:
"Dear Readers,
On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to Quvenzhané Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars. It was crude and offensive-notto mention inconsistent with The Onion's commitment to parody and satire, however biting. No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire.
The tweet was taken down within an hour of publication. We have instituted new and tighter Twitter procedures to ensure that this kind of mistake does not occur again.
In addition, we are taking immediate steps to discipline those individuals responsible. Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better. All of us at The Onion are deeply sorry.
Sincerely, Steve Hannah CEO The Onion"
Wallis is the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee ever and earned the honor for her role in the $1.2 million independent film Beasts of the Southern Wild. Wallis was nominated in a category with several heavy hitters - Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty, Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook, Naomi Watts for The Impossible and Emmanuelle Riva for Amour. Riva turned 86 on Oscar night and is the oldest actress ever to be nominated in the category. Wallis lost the category to Lawrence, 22.
The Onion is an American newspaper and website that offers factual and fictional stories with a satire on entertainment, national and local news.
