Tituss Burgess Reacts To Ellie Kemper's Apology For Participating In "Racist And Elitist" Ball

"Next time, just ask me, I’ll tell ya what to do."

Last week, news broke that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actor Ellie Kemper won a 1999 beauty pageant at a ball that has racist and antisemitic origins.

Rachel Luna / Via Getty

She was crowned the "Veiled Prophet Queen of Love and Beauty" by the Veiled Prophet organization, which was cofounded by a former Confederate officer. Black and Jewish people were banned from the organization until 1979.

Kemper issued an apology on Instagram a few days later.

@elliekemper / Via instagram.com

"When I was 19 years old, I decided to participate in a debutante ball in my hometown," she began. "The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist past."

"I was not aware of this history at the time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved," she wrote.

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"I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy. At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards," she continued.

"I want to apologize to the people I've disappointed, and I promise that moving forward I will listen, continue to educate myself, and use my privilege in support of the better society I think we're capable of becoming."

@elliekemper / Via instagram.com

Soon afterward, Kemper's colleague, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tituss Burgess, reposted her statement with his own commentary.

@instatituss / Via instagram.com

"I love my Ellie ❤️," he wrote in the caption. "Oh, & P.S. Next time, just ask me, I’ll tell ya what to do 🥰"

Bruce Glikas / FilmMagic / Via Getty

For more on the history of the Veiled Prophet Ball, check out BuzzFeed News' reporting.