Priyanka Chopra, ABC Apologize for Controversial 'Quantico' Episode
"Quantico" star Priyanka Chopra released an apology after receiving a backlash due to a recent episode of the action-packed thriller featuring a representation of Indian terrorists.
The 35-year-old turned to Twitter to apologize to anyone who got offended by the plot of the episode.
"I'm extremely saddened and sorry that some sentiments have been hurt by a recent episode of Quantico. That was not and would never be my intention. I sincerely apologise. I'm a proud Indian and that will never change," Chopra stated in her post.
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The episode titled "The Blood of Romeo," which aired on ABC last June 1, featured Chopra's character Alex Parrish fighting against a group of Indian nationalists who plotted to launch a terror attack and blame the violence against Pakistan days before the two countries meet for a summit.
It sparked outrage from netizens, particularly from Indian nationals. Some expressed their anger over the "stupid" and "nonsensical" plot, while others attacked Chopra for not doing anything to stop the show from presenting the controversial topic.
The network also released their own statement regarding the issue to apologize to the offended. "The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn't create the show, nor does she write or direct it. She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series," part of the statement that was posted by Entertainment Weekly read.
Chopra, one of the most popular and highest paid actresses in Bollywood, was the first Indian actress to be featured in a leading role in a primetime US television series.
This is not the first time that the former Miss World 2000 titleholder had been at the receiving end of the netizen's wrath. BBC recalled that she was criticized in 2017 for wearing a dress that revealed her legs during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She also angered several citizens for her visits to the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh as part of her job as the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF.
ABC also explained that the show is just a work of fiction, and it is known for featuring antagonists from different backgrounds and ethnicities. However, they admitted that the unintentionally tackled a highly complicated political issue. Although, they claimed that it was never their intention to offend their viewers.
Prior to the airing of the controversial episode, ABC announced that "Quantico" has been canceled after season 3, and it will only have eight episodes left before the series finale.
Aside from Chopra, the series also stars Jake McLaughlin as Ryan Booth, Johanna Braddy as Shelby Wyatt, Russell Tovey as Harry Doyle, Blair Underwood as Owen Hall, Alan Powell as Mike McQuigg, as well as Marlee Matlin as Jocelyn Turner.
The series was created for ABC by Joshua Safran, which he co-executive produced with Mark Gordon, Nicholas Pepper, and Robert Sertner.
The next episode of "Quantico" season 3 will air on the network on Friday, June 15, at 8 p.m. EDT.
