Spike Lee has refused an invitation to attend this year’s Academy Awards ceremony due to the fact that no people of color were nominated in any major acting category.
“My wife, Mrs. Tonya Lewis Lee and I will not be attending the Oscar ceremony this coming February,” Lee wrote on Instagram on Monday morning. “We cannot support it and mean no disrespect to my friends, host Chris Rock and producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs and The Academy.”
“But, how is it possible for the 2nd consecutive year all 20 contenders under the actor category are white?” he continued. “And let’s not even get into the other branches.