Priyanka Chopra Apologises for 'The Activist' Controversy: I'm Sorry Many Were Disappointed

Priyanka Chopra has apologised following the widespread backlash against the reality show ‘The Activist,’ where she was cast as one of the judges along with American singer-songwriter Usher and Dancing with the Stars fame Julianne Hough.

Produced by CBS and Global Citizen, the series pitted activists against each other before a panel of celebrity judges. Their success would have been judged on the basis of their social media campaigns. After the show was announced, there was an instant backlash online with many people labelling the series as “insensitive” and “tone-deaf”.

Now, Priyanka Chopra has issued an official statement on her social media accounts and apologised to her fans who were “disappointed” by her participation in the format. Her statement comes after American network CBS announced that it was changing the format of The Activist competition series to a one-time documentary.

“I have been moved by the power of your voices over the past week. At its core, Activism is fuelled by cause and effect, and when people come together to raise their voice about something, there is always an effect. You were heard. The show got it wrong, and I’m sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you. The intention was always to bring attention to the people behind the ideas and highlight the actions and impact of the causes they support tirelessly. I’m happy to know that in this new format, their stories will be the highlight, and I’m proud to collaborate with partners who have their ear to the ground and know when it’s time to hit pause and re-evaluate,” Priyanka said in the statement.

She further added, “There is a global community of activists who fight the fight every single day and put their blood, sweat and tears into creating change, but more often than not, they are rarely heard or acknowledged. Their work is so important and they too deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do.”

In a statement on Wednesday, CBS and producing partners Global Citizen and Live Nation said that they were retooling The Activist as a one-time documentary special instead of a five-episode competition series. “The Activist was designed to show a wide audience the passion, long hours, and ingenuity that activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. However, it has become apparent the format of the show as announced distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day. The push for global change is not a competition and requires a global effort,” they said.

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