1.
Ian Ousley performs Sokka in Netflix’s new live-action remake of Avatar: The Final Airbender. Showrunner Albert Kim mentioned the present was “an opportunity to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as dwelling, respiration folks.” Based on the biography posted by his supervisor, the actor is “mixed-race, Native American and is a Cherokee tribe member.”
However Cherokee Phoenix reported that social media customers regarded into Ian’s background and found he isn’t a member of Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, or Japanese Band of Cherokee Indians. Twitter screenshots declare the one tribe to substantiate Ian as a member was Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky. Cherokee Phoenix described this as “considered one of dozens of federally unacknowledged tribes decried as false by the three acknowledged Cherokee governments.” Ian’s casting sparked fierce debate on-line, and a petition referred to as on Netflix to “get the details straight.”
2.
In 2019, Forbes named Kylie Jenner the “youngest self-made billionaire” in historical past. “There’s actually no different phrase to make use of apart from self-made as a result of that’s the reality,” she mentioned on the time. “That’s the class that I fall below… I used 100% of my very own cash to begin the corporate, not a dime in my checking account is inherited… and I’m very happy with that.”
However the backlash was swift and extreme. Many identified that Kylie calling herself self-made was disingenuous contemplating she was born right into a rich household, grew up on Protecting Up with the Kardashians, and certain would not have loved the identical success along with her cosmetics firm if not for the celebrity of her sisters. She rapidly modified her tune, telling the New York Occasions, “I can’t say I’ve finished it on my own. In the event that they’re simply speaking funds, technically, sure, I don’t have any inherited cash. However I’ve had plenty of assist and an enormous platform.”
In a stunning twist, Forbes introduced the next yr that Kylie was not a billionaire. When she bought 51% of her firm to Coty Inc., monetary particulars apparently got here to mild. On this video, Forbes editor Chase Peterson-Withorn mentioned, “It is clear that for years, the Jenners have been mendacity… The sale has laid naked one of many Jenner household’s largest secrets and techniques, which is: Kylie Cosmetics isn’t practically as large of a enterprise, or as profitable of a enterprise, as they spent years main your complete world — together with Forbes — to imagine.”
3.
Final yr, Sydney Agudong was forged as Nani Pelekai within the live-action remake of Lilo & Sew. Initially, this sparked a viral debate on colorism. On the time, many believed Sydney was light-skinned with Native Hawaiian ancestry, and that the function ought to have gone to a Native Hawaiian with a darker pores and skin tone.
Nonetheless, many social media customers rapidly dove into Sydney’s background and located no indication that she is definitely Native Hawaiian in any databases, newspaper clippings, and so forth. Based on web sleuths, her mom is white, and her father is Filipino — which means she has no Polynesian ancestry in any respect. This sparked fierce backlash, however Disney appears to have ignored Pacific Islanders’ requires the function of Nani to be recast. Many have accused Sydney of misrepresenting herself and her background, however the actor has but to make an announcement.
4.
Through the years, Ariana Grande has spoken extensively about manifestation. In her music “Simply Like Magic,” she sings strains like “manifest it, I finessed it” and “I get all the pieces I need ‘trigger I entice it.” On a 2021 episode of The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon, she mentioned, “I’ve this bizarre manifesting present, I believe.” She recalled asking to audition for a Nickelodeon present when she was Four years outdated (she went on to play Cat in Victorious, a Nickelodeon present). Jimmy additionally performed a clip of Ariana singing the nationwide anthem at a Florida Panthers hockey recreation when she was Eight years outdated.
However many have referred to as out the singer’s insistence that she merely manifested a profitable profession. That Panthers recreation the place she sang the nationwide anthem? Her dad and mom had been seasonal ticket holders and secured her early publicity. Ariana’s mom was the CEO of an organization that manufactured communications gear for the Marines and the Navy, and her father based a graphic design agency.
5.
All through his profession, John Leguizamo mentioned he was Puerto Rican and Colombian. The actor — who moved from Colombia to New York Metropolis at Three years outdated — mentioned his Puerto Rican heritage comes from his father’s facet. He was named Puerto Rican Day Parade International Ambassador of the Arts in 2011.
Nonetheless, only a week earlier than the Nationwide Puerto Rican Day Parade, John’s father informed a newspaper that they aren’t Puerto Rican. “It hurts me that John is mendacity to the Puerto Ricans and never backing up his Colombian roots,” he mentioned. John denied the accusation, telling reporters as he marched within the parade, “I’m Colombian-Puerto Rican. I do not know why he is saying that. I say that I like him, and why is he saying that?”
Final yr, John appeared on an episode of Discovering Your Roots — a PBS present the place celebrities find out about their ancestral histories. The actor’s lineage included notable figures like Sebastián de Belalcázar, a Spanish conquistador, and Higinio Cualla, who served as mayor of Bogota, Colombia. The present didn’t discover any hint of Puerto Rican ancestry.
6.
Within the 2023 Beckham documentary sequence, Victoria Beckham — aka Posh Spice — mentioned she grew up “working class.”
However she was instantly referred to as out by husband David Beckham. He popped his head via the door and informed her to be sincere. “I’m being sincere,” she insisted. So, he requested her what automotive her dad drove her to high school in. Victoria would not give a straight reply at first.
When David insisted on an sincere response, she admitted, “Okay. Within the ’80s, my dad had a Rolls-Royce.”
7.
Kelsey Asbille is finest identified for taking part in Monica in Yellowstone. Her character was a Native American lady captivated with Native rights, tradition, and historical past. Kelsey has mentioned in interviews that she is of Chinese language, European, and Cherokee descent however didn’t develop up in a Native group.
Nonetheless, Kelsey’s casting sparked backlash and a name to boycott the present. Although the New York Occasions reported that she was a descendant of the Japanese Band of Cherokee Indians, the nation’s Tribal Enrollment Workplace declared the tribe had no document of her. Moreover, they might discover no proof that she was a descendant. Saulteaux actor Adam Seashore — who proposed the preliminary boycott — informed BuzzFeed Information, “What acquired me jolted by it was that I’ve plenty of Native feminine actors that want a job. I instantly referred to as it out.”
8.
In Child Rock’s 1998 “Cowboy” music, he says, “I ain’t straight outta Compton, I am straight out the trailer.” He constructed his whole public persona round being a self-described “lowlife.”
Nonetheless, a number of shops reported that he really grew up in a 5,660 square-foot mansion with seven loos, a visitor home, and a pool. His childhood residence sits on a 5.5-acre lot, full with a regulation tennis court docket.
9.
For years, many individuals believed Hilaria Baldwin was from Spain. On this 2012 Good Morning America episode shortly after her marriage ceremony to Alec Baldwin, her accent is obvious. She’s been featured in publications like Latina journal and Hola journal and captioned many Instagram posts in Spanish. Moreover, Spain was listed as her birthplace within the bio of her company’s web site and on Google.
However in 2020, social media customers claimed Hilaria was faking the accent, sparking public scrutiny. The world found that Hilaria was born Hillary Thomas in Boston, Massachusetts. Her dad and mom will not be Spanish; in reality, her father as soon as made a weblog publish stating his household is Midwestern, and Spanish meals and tradition deeply influenced his life regardless of not having “an iota of Latin blood.” Although her dad and mom traveled to Spain all through Hilaria’s life, they did not transfer there till 2011.
In a now-deleted Instagram video, Hilaria addressed the scenario, saying, “I am born in Boston, after which I spent a few of my childhood in Boston, a few of my childhood in Spain… There was, like, plenty of back-and-forth my whole life.” She additionally touched on her ever-changing accent. “It is a type of issues that I’ve at all times been a bit insecure about… If I get nervous, or I get upset, then I begin to combine the 2.”
10.
In 2016, Gwyneth Paltrow informed Glamour, “Individuals assume, ‘She’s only a wealthy child.’ Till I used to be 18, I used to be. Then I used to be broke. I’ve by no means taken a dime off my dad and mom. I am utterly self-made.” She recalled dropping out of faculty and dwelling in an residence with a roommate to pursue appearing. “I labored as a hostess at a restaurant; I might scrounge quarters to purchase Starbucks — and stroll there to save lots of gasoline… These had been the times. Sufficient to know the worth of cash.”
Her romanticizing of poverty and insistence that she’s self-made has drawn plenty of criticism over time. Many identified that Gwyneth’s mom is actor Blythe Danner, her father is movie producer/director Bruce Paltrow, and her godfather is Steven Spielberg — who forged her as teenage Wendy in his 1991 film, Hook.
11.
And at last, Lana Del Rey has insisted that she grew up poor on plenty of events. In October, she made a since-deleted Instagram video saying she got here from a rural city and solely attended an elite boarding college as a result of her uncle labored there, entitling her to monetary support. “I had such a troublesome time there as a result of everybody knew how a lot cash everybody had. Sadly, my expertise each day was having folks name me WT from LP: white trash from Lake Placid” (the city the place she grew up). She claimed that her father did not discover wealth till later, together with his web area firm. Within the feedback, she wrote, “We had completely no cash.”
Nonetheless, a 2012 Guardian article reported that her father was a millionaire who supported her profession — although it is price noting that Lana lately referred to as the article “tabloid-psycho unfaithful” in an interview with the Sunday Occasions.
Even so, folks criticized Lana for saying she grew up with “completely no cash.” Earlier than her father based his firm, he labored as a copywriter at an promoting company the place he met Lana’s mom, an assistant account govt. Their marriage ceremony announcement was printed within the New York Occasions. After they welcomed Lana, they moved to Lake Placid, the place her mother turned a instructor and her dad labored in actual property and created furnishings that was featured in design publications. Followers have pushed again on Lana’s insistence that she grew up in poverty and mentioned her upbringing sounds solidly middle-class, even when she wasn’t as rich as her schoolmates.
Another celebs who’ve been accused of mendacity about their upbringing or background? Share them within the feedback under.