Cameron Crowe’s latest film Aloha has been at the centre of a “whitewashing” controversy due to Emma Stone’s casting as Allison Ng, a mixed race character who is the daughter of a half-Chinese, half-Hawaiin father and a white mother. In the wake of the criticism, Crowe has taken to his personal blog to offer an apology, stating that:
“Thank you so much for all the impassioned comments regarding the casting of the wonderful Emma Stone in the part of Allison Ng. I have heard your words and your disappointment, and I offer you a heart-felt apology to all who felt this was an odd or misguided casting choice… I am grateful for the dialogue. And from the many voices, loud and small, I have learned something very inspiring. So many of us are hungry for stories with more racial diversity, more truth in representation, and I am anxious to help tell those stories in the future.”
You can read Crowe’s full response to the controversy here.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Aloha here
Aloha is out now, with a cast that also includes Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride and Alec Baldwin.