Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22) – Actress Franchesca Wong, who previously drew flak for her ‘brown face’ portrayal of a domestic worker from the Philippines, has issued a public apology after drawing criticism and raising allegations of racism.
“I sincerely apologise to all who have been negatively affected in any way by the 7th chapter “Jei Jei” of the Barrack O’Karma 1968 drama series, and my role in it,” Wong wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday.
Last week, the Hong Kong television series “Barrack O’Karma 1968” by Hong Kong broadcaster TVB drew flak after Wong applied dark face and body make-up for her role as Louisa, a Filipina domestic worker.
A video earlier posted by one of her co-stars showed her painting her legs a dark shade of brown to depict a stereotyped image of a Filipino. In the video, she said she was “sun tanning” and “transforming into someone else” in a fake Filipino accent.
READ: HK TV show criticized for using ‘brown face’ to depict Filipino domestic worker
“I genuinely have no intention to disrespect or racially discriminate any ethnic group, please forgive me for getting it wrong,” Wong added.
“It has been a challenging experience to be at the centre of a lesson that art reflects deeply entrenched social attitudes,” she concluded.
