Up and coming comedian Jessica ‘Jess Hilarious’ Moore has been making a name for herself, but that name may be tarnished with her recent actions.
While boarding a flight, Moore filmed Sikh men wearing headwraps, adding that she felt “threatened” by their presence, which she posted on social media. After receiving the initial backlash, Moore attempted to defend herself and her actions with a vulgar Instagram rant.
As time went by, Moore used it to try and get herself together to properly respond. She issued an official statement, which she revealed she wrote herself with no PR.
“So, naturally in my previous post, I was defensive,” she began. “But that’s what happens when you don’t take the time to really know what’s transpiring. In understanding the error of my actions, I have to first acknowledge the rooted issues, which means racially profiling a group of individuals based on their appearance and on top of that—publicizing it on a platform where others can be hurt by it and others were hurt from it.”
Moree continued to speak on the people she recorded. “I’m not sure if these particular individuals that were on the plane are aware of my actions by now, but either way, I would love to apologize personally to them first for my insensitive and ignorant behavior,” Jess noted. “Yet, I would still like to apologize to all of you who were aware and offended by my actions.”
Moore stated that she did not speak with any flight officials to get the men kicked off the plane, but the individuals were removed. “I refuse to teach, spread or be an advocate for hatred—I just want to make people laugh,” she said.
Watch the apology below.