Mindy Kaling Responds to The Academy's Statement About Discrimination Against Her
Mindy Kaling is fighting back after The Academy dismissed her claims that they tried to strip her of her producer credit on The Office.
The 40-year-old actress originally spoke out about her experience with sexism early during her career, explaining that she had to justify her producer position on the show after it was nominated for an Emmy.
In a statement to the LA Times, The Academy responded, “No one person was singled out. There was an increasing concern years ago regarding the number of performers and writers seeking producer credits…Every performer producer and writer producer was asked to justify their producer credits.”
Mindy took to her Twitter to react to the statement, maintaining that she faced discrimination in the incident.
“Respectfully, the Academy’s statement doesn’t make any sense. I *was* singled out. There were other Office writer-performer-producers who were NOT cut from the list. Just me. The most junior person, and woman of color. Easiest to dismiss. Just sayin’,” Mindy wrote.
She continued, “I’ve never wanted to bring up that incident because The Office was one of the greatest creative experiences of my life…But I worked so hard and it was humiliating. I had written so many episodes, put in so much time in the editing room, just to have the Academy discard it because they couldn’t fathom I was capable of doing it all. Thankfully I was rescued by my friends, the other producers.”
Respectfully, the Academy’s statement doesn’t make any sense. I *was* singled out. There were other Office writer-performer-producers who were NOT cut from the list. Just me. The most junior person, and woman of color. Easiest to dismiss. Just sayin’. https://t.co/frT2pQUfLF
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) October 9, 2019
Click inside to read all of Mindy Kaling’s response…
I’ve never wanted to bring up that incident because The Office was one of the greatest creative experiences of my life, and who would want to have an adversarial relationship with the Academy, who has the ongoing power to enhance our careers with awards? (1)
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) October 9, 2019
(2) But I worked so hard and it was humiliating. I had written so many episodes, put in so much time in the editing room, just to have the Academy discard it because they couldn’t fathom I was capable of doing it all. Thankfully I was rescued by my friends, the other producers.
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) October 9, 2019
(3) The point is, we shouldn’t have be bailed out because of the kindness our more powerful white male colleagues. Not mentioning it seemed like glossing over my story. This was like ten years ago. Maybe it wouldn’t happen now. But it happened to me.
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) October 9, 2019