Halle Berry has issued an apology and pulled out of a transgender film role after receiving backlash on social media.
The Oscar winner released a statement via Twitter Monday (July 6), responding to criticism she received for considering taking a role as a transgender man in an upcoming project. She also admitted she was in the wrong for wanting to play the character in the first place.
"Over the weekend I had the opportunity to discuss my consideration of an upcoming role as a transgender man, and I’d like to apologize for those remarks," Berry wrote. "As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories."
The actress said she's "grateful for the guidance and critical conversation over the past few days" and promised to "continue to listen, educate and learn” from her mistake.
"I vow to be an ally in using my voice to promote better representation on-screen, both in front of and behind the camera," Berry concluded.
The 53-year-old first opened up about the potential role during an Instagram Live July 3, revealing that she had been preparing for it but was not officially cast yet. (She also kept misgendering the character and referring to them as "she.")
"The woman is a trans character, so she’s a woman that transitioned into a man," Berry explained at the time (via Variety). "She’s a character in a project I love that I might be doing… Who this woman was is so interesting to me, and that will probably be my next project."