The Bold Type has been a hit with fans on Netflix, but one of the stars of the show, Aisha Dee, previously called out the series to ask for better representation both onscreen - while criticising her character's relationship with a conservative - as well as offscreen.
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In the post, which she shared back in July 2020, she explained: "I always try to bring up my concerns in a positive and constructive way, conscious of the realities that come with being the only woman of colour in the room. I never wanted to come across as ungrateful, negative, or difficult."
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She continued: "The diversity we see in front of the camera needs to be reflected in the diversity of the creative team behind the camera. It took two seasons to get a single BIPOC in the writers' room for The Bold Type. And even then, the responsibility to speak for the entire Black experience cannot and should not fall on one person.
Read Aisha's full statement here
"In four seasons (48 episodes) we've had one Black woman direct two episodes. It took three seasons to get someone in the hair department who knew how to work with textured hair. This was impactful on so many levels, and I'm grateful for the women who showed me how to embrace and love my hair in a way I never had before."
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Speaking about Kat's relationship in season four, she explained that she felt that it was a "heartbreaking" decision for her role, saying: "Despite my personal feelings about the choice, I tried my best to tell the story with honesty, even though the Kat I know and love would never make these choices. It was heartbreaking to watch Kat's story turn into a redemption story for someone else, someone who is complicit in the oppression of so many. Someone whose politics are actively harmful to her communities."
Producers of the show responded to Aisha's post
The show's producers released a statement following Aisha's comments, which read: "We applaud Aisha for raising her hand and starting conversations around these important issues. We look forward to continuing that dialogue and enacting positive change. Our goal on The Bold Type is and has always been to tell entertaining, authentic stories that are representative of the world that Kat, Jane and Sutton live in — we can only do that if we listen."
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