Amber Riley Says People Often Try To “Humble” Black Women

Amber Riley, star of Lifetime’s forthcoming thriller, “Single Black Female,” says being a plus-sized Black woman is extremely difficult.

The 35-year-old star spoke with Page Six about the hardships she faced building a successful career while trying to distance herself from her famous Mercedes roles in “Glee.” Riley says she despises when people refer to her as the popular character she portrayed from 2009 to 2015. She feels that since she was the only Black character on the show, many people call her Mercedes as a derogatory term.

“No shade to the show/character that gave me a career, but please stop this s***. I don’t answer to it, and if you do it facetiously, I’ll block you,” she stated.

Riley went on to speak on how she and other Black women have to work harder in the film industry to get ahead. While many people try to “humble Black women,” she says she will not tolerate this.

“I think it’s fine to be grateful, and it’s fine to walk through this world understanding that nobody owes you anything. I don’t think that anybody owes me anything, but I will demand respect because I respect other people.”

In addition to “Glee,” Riley won “Dancing with the Stars” Season 17. She is also an established singer, who released her debut EP, “RILEY,” in fall 2020. Now, fans can see her portray the role of Raven when the Lifetime original, “Single Black Female,” premieres on February 5th.