"RuPaul's Drag Race" Star Pearl Was Accused Of Blackface And Issued An Apology After Trying To Explain The Photo

"It was not my intention to do blackface, I thought the concept of the character would be clear to anyone who saw it."

You probably know Pearl, the drag performer from Season 7 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Jennifer Lourie / Getty Images

Earlier this week, Pearl — who is white — posted a photo to his IG Story of him in drag makeup and costuming that some took to resemble the practice of blackface.

@pearliaison / Instagram / Via Instagram: @pearliaison

The Cambridge Dictionary defines blackface as "dark make-up worn by a white person in order to look like a black person, or the practice of doing this."

Some of Pearl's fellow Drag Race alumni did not respond well to the photo — including Silky Ganache:

RuPaul should’ve just talked to her off camera cause now she mocking RuPaul in her younger years. pic.twitter.com/Eje0YSsCxS

— Silky “Cancel Student Loans” Ganache (@SilkyGanache) August 10, 2023

@SilkyGanache / Via Twitter: @SilkyGanache

And The Vixen:

White people paint their skin the shade of people who have to defend their skin shade and their surprised they have to defend their choice 🫠

— The Vixen (@TheVixensworld) August 10, 2023

@TheVixensworld / Via Twitter: @TheVixensworld

Pearl initially attempted to explain the thinking behind the getup on his IG Story (via Entertainment Weekly). "The character I posted this morning was not meant to resemble any other background other than my own," they wrote. She's platinum blonde/blue eyes & meant to have 2000's Britney-esque tan."

Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images

"I certainly didn't mean to hurt anyone and will refrain from using any kind of tan at all when creating characters in the future. I've removed the post as to not continue to offend people."

Yesterday, Pearl issued a longer statement via IG apologizing again for the photo, while attempting to further clarify the thinking behind it.

@pearliaison / Via instagram.com

"It was not my intention to do blackface," he wrote. "I thought the concept of the character would be clear to anyone who saw it, which was ignorant on my part, for which I am sorry."

Santiago Felipe / FilmMagic

"Just to be clear, every aspect of the character was inspired by Caucasian people, there was no Black influence going on in my mind during the time of conception," he continued.

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"But now I see the people that inspired the character are/have been problematic, and by dressing up and parodying as them, I [too] am contributing to the issue in its own way, something I hadn’t thought of and don’t want to contribute to."

Noam Galai / WireImage

Pearl also referred to the criticism as "an opportunity to grow from the experience and expand myself creatively." "Hopefully this can be a positive and safe space to learn and grow," he concluded.

Gabe Ginsberg / FilmMagic

You can read Pearl's entire statement here.