Italian airline Alitalia has apologized for a promotional video featuring an actor in blackface portraying former U.S. president Barack Obama.
The Italian-language video, which has since been removed, was one of a series of advertisements promoting the carrier’s recently-added non-stop flight from Rome to Washington, D.C. Actors playing President Trump, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were also featured, with the hashtag #WhereIsWashington.
After a barrage of complaints from Twitter users, the airline took down the video and issued an apology.
“Alitalia deeply apologizes for the offense caused by the promotional video on our Washington route. It has since been removed. For our Company, respect for everyone is mandatory, it was never our intention to hurt anyone and we will learn from what has happened,” the airline tweeted on Wednesday.
“This @Alitalia video showcasing a silent blackfaced “Obama” is reprehensive on so many levels: racism, extreme provincialism, wilful ignorance of facts, lack of historic knowledge,” one Twitter user tweeted.
“When your social media/ marketing team has no idea about the state of the world today. And the award goes to…@Alitalia,” another user tweeted.
Alitalia is the latest in a series of companies to come under fire for racial controversies. Gucci, Prada, and Katy Perry’s fashion brand have all had to remove and apologize for products that were accused of using blackface in the past year.
10 Stars Whose Blackface Blunders Backfired, From Ted Danson to Kylie Jenner (Photos)
Don't even think of mimicking these celebrities.
Joni Mitchell
The singer posed in blackface on the cover of her album "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" in 1977, and later went on to justify it by saying, "I have experienced being a black guy."
The "Cheers" star appeared at a N.Y. Friars Club Roast in 1993 with then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg wearing blackface makeup to perform an offensive N-word-filled comedy routine.
The Oscar-winning actor came under fire in 2012 when video surfaced of a 2004 school fundraiser featuring Hanks and another man wearing blackface and stereotypical African clothing. Hanks later condemned the bit as "horribly offensive."
The host of "America's Next Top Model" took heat, as did her show, for a photo shoot in 2009 in which competing models were made to look "biracial." Styling techniques included the darkening of contestants' skin.
Paula Deen
Following the epicure's ouster from the Food Network in the wake of her infamous N-word controversy, Deen posted a photo on Twitter from her show's 2011 Halloween episode featuring her son, Bobby, dressed as Ricky Ricardo, complete with brownface makeup.
Beyoncé
The diva took heat for a 2011 L'Officiel Paris cover with an "African Queen" theme for which the pop star's skin was darkened.
The singer/dancer/actress drew criticism over a 2013 Halloween costume for which she donned dark makeup to masquerade as Uzo Aduba's "Orange Is the New Black" character Crazy Eyes.
The YouTuber known for his outrageous characters in 2014 was forced to apologize for the use of blackface in some of his videos, including a parody of talk show host Wendy Williams.
Kylie Jenner
Fans of the reality star jumped all over a photo she posted to her Instagram account from a 2015 shoot, outraged that her skin appeared to be darkened. "This is a black light and neon lights people lets all calm down," Jenner responded.
Luann de Lesseps
The former countess and "Real Housewives of New York" star apologized for her 2017 Halloween costume as Diana Ross -- even though she insisted that she didn't actually do blackface. "I had bronzer on that I wear normally like the rest of my skin," she later told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live." "So I didn’t add anything to or would ever, ever dream of doing a blackface. Ever."
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These celebrities offer a timely reminder that it’s never OK — so don’t try it
