LaKeith Stanfield Slams VladTV For Headline: "I'm Not Surprised"

BY Erika Marie 9.4K Views
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LaKeith Stanfield, VladTV, Gay Roles, The Hollywood Reporter, Instagram
The actor said in an interview that he wanted to explore roles where he played a gay character and didn't appreciate the headline that followed.

A recent interview has caused a bit of a stir. LaKeith Stanfield is a rising, celebrated actor of our time, and often his comments steal attention from the public. Last week, Standfield's interview with The Hollywood Reporter was published, and inside, he spoke with the outlet about his high school days as a theater kid. He thrived during that time, bonding with the "oddballs of the theater scene," as THR described them. Stanfield noted that it wasn't controversial to see love scenes between two men, and he said that he "always wanted to play a gay role. Because I wanted to experience and feel and understand what that meant."

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While Stanfield was speaking on expanding his views artistically, the quote soon made headlines. VladTV made a post about it titled "LaKeith Stanfield Says He Wants to Play Gay Role to 'Feel What That Meant,'" and it didn't take long for the commentary to roll in. In a post-and-delete move, Standfield criticized the publication for allegedly playing on people's phobias.

"Yes i was saying i wanted to experience love through a lense i hadn't experienced before though a character," LaKeith explained. "After all, love is love, OF COURSE Vladtv strikes again trying to make that fact a dramatic and negative thing. I'm not surprised. I'm a Black man and he's Vlad. Out of all the things i said in the interview with THR you chose to zoom in on this and try to frame me in a way where your fans can hate on me, you ain't slick."

The actor concluded, "Too bad most ppl aren't deeply bigoted and so don't care to grab your bait." Check out his post below.

[via]


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.