Actress Emma Roberts ("We Are the Millers" and the various "American Horror" series) made transphobic comments while filming the series starring her, according to a transgender actress who participated in the same series.
According to Angelica Ross, known for her role as Kennedy on the drama series Pose, the incident occurred during the filming of the ninth season of American Horror (titled "1984"), where she played Donna Chambers/Nurse Rita. "I was standing in front of her mother (Ross didn't give her full name) and talking to her with her back in the mirror, and then she said, 'John, [apparently referring to the episode's director, John J. Gray], Angelica is evil,'" she said on Instagram Live on Tuesday, which was captured by netizens, some of whom threatened Roberts — acts Ross sought to avoid.
Footage from Angelica Ross's Instagram Live:
Video clips from Angelica Ross' Instagram Live discussing the situation. pic.twitter.com/w34pIEi7Fs
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In response, John told them, "Ladies, enough, get back to work," and Roberts, according to Ross, looked at her and replied, "Don't you mean ma'am?" and then turned and covered her mouth. Ross added that she stared at Roberts for a long time, trying to digest what was said.
Ross shared with her followers that she did not report the incident because she feared repercussions, but stressed that it burned inside her. "If I say something, then they'll point an accusing finger at me and say I'm guilty. I know for a fact that this is what would have happened, because there was someone talking about it what she did, and there were consequences," she said.
"She asked if I was okay." Angelica Ross, Photo by Getty Images
The 42-year-old actress also said that after the incident between the two, she and Roberts, 32, never spoke on set anymore. "When I saw it happen, I told myself that's it, I'm done. I didn't talk to that dog afterwards, and she told me she felt the energy I was experiencing," she added. "She asked me if I was okay because I wasn't talking, and I said to myself, 'Beach, don't play with me. You're playing here with everyone's brain on set, everyone has been waiting for you to come to me.'"
After the live footage went viral, Ross updated on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday that Roberts had called her personally and apologized for her remarks. "Thank you Emma Roberts for calling, apologizing and acknowledging that your behavior was not collegial," she said. "I leave the way open to you in your effort to improve and your ambition to be better and support social causes through your platform."
Trailer for American Horror: 1984:
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