Model Ashley Graham hit the red carpet during the 91st Oscar Awards pre-show and asked a lot of celebrities questions about the big night, including Lisa Bonet and her husband Jason Momoa. But one specific request from Graham made things a little awkward.
Graham asked Jason to do the traditional ‘Maori’ dance, which the actor did at the premiere of #Aquaman. The dance is known as a thank you to New Zealand and the culture that was featured in the DC film. But, Lisa wasn’t having that and swiftly shut Graham’s request down, on behalf of her husband.
#Twitter wasted no time picking up on the cringe-worthy moment and the comments came flooding in, with many expressing disappointment in Graham. One user tweeted, “That is….horrible. Why do white people always want poc to *perform* their culture for them as entertainment? It’s gross.”
Others applauded Bonet for defending her man. Another user tweeted, “lisa bonet is a forever favorite for putting her hand up and politely but firmly saying NO to ashley graham when she asked jason momoa to dance for her during their red carpet interview. that’s protecting your partner. #Oscars”
