Rebel Wilson has defended of her close friend Matt Lucas after he came under fire for his portrayal of blackface on his comedy series Little Britain.
She was asked on Australian news program Studio 10 on Monday whether offensive material from past TV shows should be erased in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The comedian told entertainment reporter Angela Bishop that removing programs from streaming platforms would ‘erase history’ and went on to describe the backlash against Matt as ‘a bit crazy’.
Rebel, who used to live with Matt in Los Angeles, said her former roommate was ‘the kindest, most decent human being ever’.
Her show of support came just hours after the British actor and his co-star David Walliams released a joint statement on Sunday saying it had been ‘wrong’ to portray characters of other races on Little Britain and other shows.
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‘He’s the kindest person’: Rebel Wilson has defended of her close friend Matt Lucas after he came under fire for his portrayal of blackface on his comedy series Little Britain
Rebel, who was promoting her show LOL: Last One Laughing, was asked by Angela what she considers ‘off-limits’ in the comedy world.
She explained: ‘At the moment we’re in the time of hyper-social justice as there are so many important things happening in the world. Obviously right now racial equality is such an important issue.
‘But for the past few years, especially with the #MeToo movement, there’s been a lot of social justice going on, which has made it difficult for comedians to flirt with that line.’
Offering context about the evolution of comedy, the Pitch Perfect star noted: ‘The thing is, throughout history, from way back with the court jesters in the monarchy, a comedian’s job is to flirt with the line of what’s acceptable.’
Discussion: She was asked on Australian news program Studio 10 whether offensive material from past TV shows should be erased in light of the Black Lives Matter movement
Opinion: The comedian stated that removing programs from streaming platforms would ‘erase history’ and went on to describe the backlash against Matt as ‘a bit crazy’
Remorse: On Sunday evening, Matt and his co-star David Walliams released a joint statement insisting it was ‘wrong’ to portray characters of other races
Apology: While the pair saying it ‘wrong’ to portray characters of other races, they reiterated it’s something they have apologised for in the past
When asked specifically whether offensive material from the past should now be banned, Rebel replied: ‘I’m not a fan of just erasing things.
‘I think with history, you should learn from it. If you erase it, it’s a bit like denying it ever happened. That doesn’t seem like a good plan!’
With streaming platforms Netflix and BritBox now removing Little Britain in response to its portrayal of blackface, Rebel made it clear it wasn’t something she agreed with.
Speaking of Matt and David’s roles on the show, Rebel pointed out that they played ‘many different characters on that show,’ only some of whom were black.
Singing Matt’s praises, the Isn’t It Romantic star added: ‘We lived together for three years. He’s amazing… he’s the kindest, most decent human being ever!’
Gone: Little Britain was removed from streaming services including Netflix and Britbox following concerns its use of blackface was no longer acceptable
On Sunday night, Matt and David insisted it was ‘wrong’ to portray characters of other races on Little Britain, but reiterated that it was something they had apologised for in the past.
In the statement posted to Twitter, David wrote: ‘Matt and I have both spoken publicly in recent years of our regret that we played characters of other races. Once again we want to make it clear that it was wrong and we are very sorry.’
Matt went onto share the same statement with fans, after Little Britain was removed from several streaming services earlier in the week.
It comes amid claims Netflix is no longer in talks with the pair about reviving Little Britain due to concerns it would spark viewer backlash.
Stereotypes: Lucas played coffee shop worker Precious Little in Come Fly With Me
A source told The Daily Star: ‘Netflix bosses were really keen to make a new series of Little Britain. The plan was to give Matt and David even more license to be controversial.
‘In the current climate, Netflix can’t be seen to be championing offensive comedy. The chances of any revival at this stage are slim-to-none.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for David Walliams, Matt Lucas and Netflix for further comment.
In an apparent reaction to the Black Lives Matter protests, Netflix pulled Little Britain on Friday June 5, along with Matt and David’s other comedy Come Fly With Me.
Following suit, the BBC and BritBox both confirmed they had also decided to remove Little Britain saying ‘times have changed’ since the show first aired.
The shows include scenes where the comedians portray characters from different ethnic backgrounds with the use of make-up.
Gone: Following suit, the BBC and BritBox both confirmed they had also decided to remove Little Britain saying ‘times have changed’ since the show first aired