Israel Broussard just learned a valuable lesson about the permanence of social media.
The To All the Boys I've Loved Before actor, who stars as Josh, one of Lara Jean's love letter recipients, in the hit Netflix teen rom-com, is in seriously hot water after controversial comments he made on Twitter—and then attempted to delete—resurfaced this week.
In one tweet, posted in July 2016, Broussard wrote, "Black Lives Matter has one goal. Division." In another post from November 2016, the seemingly pro-Trump 24-year-old tweeted, "If there were piñatas beaten of Obama, they'd call it racist. If there were piñatas beaten of Hillary, they'd call it sexist."
As recent as June of this year, the actor shared a YouTube video claiming that the children being detained in ICE facilities near the border are "treated humanely," indicating his support of Trump's barbaric immigration policies.
In another disturbing, racist tweet from 2011, the actor made light of the devastating Tōhoku earthquake in Japan, implying that the disaster was an act of karma for eating dog—even though dog meat is not traditionally a part of Japanese cuisine as it is in some other Asian countries.
After enterprising Twitter users dug up the deleted tweets, Broussard issued a statement apologizing for his comments.
"I am deeply sorry for my inappropriate and insensitive words and likes on social media," he wrote. "I take full responsibility for my actions and I sincerely apologize."
The actor added that the controversy has been "a pivotal life lesson," and that he is "dedicated to becoming...more informed and educated."
What's most upsetting about Broussard's tweets, however, is the actor's connection to one of Netflix's most recently beloved films, which has been hailed as an important moment for onscreen diversity, particularly for Asian-Americans. (Lead character Lara Jean is played by Asian-American actress Lana Condor.)
The fact that Broussard has voiced his support for policies and politics that are inherently racist and xenophobic—as well as his tone-deaf racial blanketing of all Asian countries with regards to his tweet about dog meat in Japan—isn't just disappointing and problematic. It's antithetical to what the film and its very existence stands for.
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