Arrow Star Stephen Amell Accused Of Racism By Fans, Including Image Comics Author Tee Franklin
Prior to the outrage surrounding The Flash stars Hartley Sawyer and Danielle Panabaker, Stephen Amell was the first in a string of actors from DC’s shared television universe to face backlash from their fanbase.
Fans accused the Arrow star of racism after sharing his personal thoughts on the recent protests and riots occurring in the United States in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
On June 1st, Amell published the latest episode of “How’d You Do It?”, a relatively new weekly podcast hosted by Amell and Nocking Point winery co-founder Andrew Harding in which the two sit down with a “leader, entrepreneur, educator, activist, politician, actor, writer, elite specialist, doctor, or athlete and ask them a dozen specific questions about precisely how they accomplished what they’re known for.”
The episode was initially set to feature a guest appearance by Grant Gustin, but after Amell announced that The Flash star had postponed his appearance after feeling “with everything going on in Los Angeles, that maybe this wasn’t the appropriate time to spend 45 talking about how he became such a giant, loveable television star.”
Instead Amell and Harding discussed the preceeding “weekend of pain, protesting, and nationwide outrage.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjrWXF-qxtY&feature=youtu.be
Fans quickly took issue with many of the discussion points brought up by Amell in the podcast, including his admittance that “racism is a systemic problem, but I’m not as familiar with it just because I haven’t seen it in action, personally.”
Amell also stated “that, for me personally, [police brutality has] been overshadowed by gun violence […] simply because that doesn’t happen [in Canada]”:
starting with his mention of grant saying he doesn’t find it appropriate to spend 45 minutes talking on a podcast. feels very passive aggressive, and grant is correct, but that’s still what they did! pic.twitter.com/KCCxiu4VHT
— cleo but brain dead (@dinahsoliver) June 2, 2020
Amell states, “Racism is a systemic problem, but I’m not as familiar with it just because I haven’t seen it in action, personally. Obviously, I see the video of George Floyd being murdered by white police officers, I remember the Trayvon Martin case, and all the things that have been happening.”
He added, “Although most of that, for me personally, has been overshadowed by gun violence. That’s the big thing that’s difficult for me to wrap my head around, moving to the States, simply because that doesn’t happen [in Canada]. At all. Ever.”
He then detailed is belief that “about a percentage of people in law enforcement, a very small percentage, are f*****g ruining it for people who […] should be celebrated and they should be lauded and they should be paid more than they’re paid.”
here’s 2 minutes of him thinking good cops exist because he’s met them and seen copaganda on twitter pic.twitter.com/qSroJMWRH7
— cleo but brain dead (@dinahsoliver) June 2, 2020
Amell explains:
“I think one of the shitty things is, you know, you and I, through Nocking Point and through these parties And just in general, you know, in life, we’ve met a lot of police officers who are really really great people, and I’ve been noticing on Instagram and twitter, these various police chiefs, thinking about the one in flint Michigan, I believe there was one in Houston as well, they’re putting down their batons and their weapons and they’re marching with everyone and they’re saying, ‘Look, this is, we can march, but if you’re going to step out of line and you’re going to wreck things in our city, we’re not going to stand for it, because this is our city’. You see the emotion on their faces, and it would be really tough to dedicate yourself to a job that’s as perilous and, you know, dangerous, as law enforcement, be passionate about it, and to have it ruined by a few bad apples.”
He adds:
“When I say a few a bad apples, that could come off as trivializing it, could come off as a little pippy. I’m talking about a percentage of people in law enforcement, a very small percentage, are fucking ruining it for people who, frankly, the majority of law enforcement should be celebrated, and they should be lauded, and they should be paid more than they’re paid, and I think it’s a real shame that the name of law enforcement and some of the vitriol that good police officers are having to deal with, male, female, black, white, brown, doesn’t matter, that aren’t part of the problem but are identified with the problem.”
Amell then expresses his desire to protect a local “mom and pop convenience store” from potential rioters and looters, wishing to avoid seeing it “burned to the ground.”
him talking about wanting to round people up to go stand in front of store to protect it, instead of going to a protest. pic.twitter.com/b57lXmuuTG
— cleo but brain dead (@dinahsoliver) June 2, 2020
Amell states:
“From my perspective, I feel almost a responsibility to go down the hill a little bit and grab some Laurel Canyon residents and stand in front of the local store that’s been there for like 60 years. It’s a mom and pop convenice shop, it’s right above [a local business], and I honestly feel like I should go down there and stand in front of the front door for like, three or four hours, amongst residents, because I don’t want that place burned to the ground.”
Following the publication of the podcast, some fans were quick to cite its content as ‘evidence’ that Amell was an outright racist.
Stephen Amell ain’t been shit fot years. He’s a racist mysoginitic douche and the CW protected him. Let his moment of reckoning finally come, too. https://t.co/ZFSxVnA9y1
— Carolyn *I hate racists* Hinds (@CarrieCnh12) June 2, 2020
a couple of you unfollowed me after my tweet this morning
so im gonna say it again
stephen amell is a racist. selfish. fucking. asshole.
if you dont like that, then bye 👋
— lexi ✨ (@lexiblackbriar) June 2, 2020
How did everyone miss that this man is racist, it’s not like he’s been hiding it
— ɒ Ɉoϱ ɘv’i (@VivanteFemme) June 3, 2020
if Stephen amell didn’t learn anything about racism working 8 years with a black person by his side, it won’t be in just one day that he will learn, especially if he doesn’t want to, after all he never saw racism happen, he knows a lot of good cops,
— 𝓑𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮.🌿 (@smoakxdoe) June 3, 2020
A prominent accuser of Amell’s was Image Comics writer Tee Franklin, who asserted that Amell had “been showing us his racist ass ways for quite awhile now. AND his wife”:
Fuck @StephenAmell he’s been showing us his racist ass ways for quite awhile now. AND his wife.
Also Grant Gustin ain’t absolved, cuz he DEFINITELY didn’t support & speak out for Candace. 🤷🏾♀️ https://t.co/9A0jbSVzAC
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 2, 2020
This particular accusation garnered a response from Amell, who stated that “if you need some or want to help me better understand, hit me up and we can chat!”
You totally nailed me. Hope that makes you feel better. I just followed you… so if you need something or you want to help me better understand, hit me up and we can chat!
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) June 3, 2020
However, Amell’s request for a private and sincere dialogue was met with hostility from Franklin, as the author continued to further accuse Amell of racism and condescendingly fell back on the tired rhetoric that it was ‘not her job’ to educate him, while also conflating her personal relationship troubles with her grievances against Amell.
I’m not the only Black woman that’s called you out, so I know you’ve had these conversations. Silence is complicity, while playing ignorant is ludicrous. You’re a father & someone in their 30’s you’re not new to racism & if you believe Toronto isn’t racist that’s your privilege.
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 3, 2020
I shouldn’t have to “help you” understand the things you do and say are harmful. These are things that are learned behavior.
Where you learned your privilege from your white folks, I learned I wasn’t shit, wouldn’t be shit, & deserved to die b/c it’s what your ppl taught mine.
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 3, 2020
I’m not sure why your tone is condescending, but I’m not beat for it. That “hope that makes you feel better” ain’t it, Stephen. Nothing I do or say when I call out racism makes me feel better.
I just ended my friendships with white comic creators over racism & I feel shitty.
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 3, 2020
Franklin has since continued to accuse Amell of blatant racism while downplaying her own role in the ongoing controversy. She downplayed her aggressive accusations as simply responding to “keep it moving” and acted surprised when Amell chose to no longer engage:
After calling @StephenAmell out he wanted me to EDUCATE HIM via DM, not in public, so he followed me. I refuse cuz “I’m on my trampoline.”
I respond & keep it moving. Here we are 12+ hours later, his avatar is black & he no longer follows OR responded. White privilege is wild! pic.twitter.com/nENtBRjRsh
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 3, 2020
Just to be PERFECTLY CLEAR:
The irony of @StephenAmell demanding a verified Black woman to EDUCATE HIM on the day that’s supposed to be about AMPLIFYING & SUPPORTING BLACK VOICES ain’t lost on me.
Amell KNEW what he was doing. He had no intention on responding OR learning.
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 3, 2020
The Bingo Love author has also taken to unironically demanding that any news outlet who reported on her publicly available tweets, such as IMDB and US Weekly, pay her for the use of said tweets in their articles.
WHYYYYYY 😩😩😩
Question. Did you get paid for writing that article about me and Amell? Are you getting paid to write about my tweets?
I HIGHLY suggest whatever you money you got gets deposited in my cashapp $mizteefranklin pic.twitter.com/tyUK7I5XHt
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 4, 2020
This isn’t a request tho. I need to get paid for my work cuz I wrote that article with my tweets. @erinhcrabtree
Y’all gently remind her that she’s getting paid because of me.
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 4, 2020
Hey @PaulDailly1992 were you paid to make this article on @IMDb & Tv Fanatic?
Cuz my tweets made up this article. My cashapp is $mizteefranklin and PayPal is tee at https://t.co/7gHVl79170
When shall I see my money?
Y’all gently ask him please. pic.twitter.com/0VqK7mcKfC
— TEE FRANKLIN HAS FAILED THIS COUNTRY! (@MizTeeFranklin) June 4, 2020
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