HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 30: (L-R) Actors Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx arrive at the "Horrible Bosses" Los Angeles premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on June 30, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)
Over the weekend, Jamie Foxx apologized after Jennifer Aniston accused him of making an antisemitic post. But social media users, especially the Black community, are dragging the “Horrible Bosses” actress for misreading Jamie’s words and throwing him under the bus for it.
The situation unfolded on Aug. 4 after Foxx shared the copy in question to his Instagram feed. In the post, he wrote, “They killed this dude name Jesus, what do you think they’ll do to you??! #fakefriends #fake love.”
His message was vague and without any named intended recipient. However, the phrase has long been used as an adage or proverb in the Black community. It is intended to be read as: if humans killed Jesus, what makes you think humans won’t betray you?
It appears that sometime after Jamie uploaded his post, Jennifer–who follows Foxx on Instagram–saw and liked it. It’s unclear if someone called her out for liking the post, given that the comment sections under all of her IG posts have been turned off.
However, Jennifer Aniston took to her Instagram Story with harsh words for the recovering actor.
“This really makes me sick. I did not “like” this post on purpose or by accident. And more importantly, I want to be clear to my friends and anyone hurt by this showing up in their feeds–I do NOT support any form of antisemitism. And I truly don’t tolerate HATE of any kind. Period,” Jennifer Aniston wrote.
Her post included a screenshot of Jamie’s post with a headline that reads: “Actor Jame Foxx posts horrifically antisemitic message to his 16.7 million followers,” and above the headline, the word “antisemitism” is circled.
The post is a screenshot of a subscription-based newsletter by the platform “A Wider Frame,” which boasts “current events in the Jewish world,” per their website.
By Saturday (Aug. 5), Foxx issued an apology, explaining that his intention was not to offend anyone.
“I want to apologize to the Jewish community and everyone who was offended by my post. I now know my choice of words have caused offense and I’m sorry. That was never my intent. To clarify, I was betrayed by a fake a friend, and that’s what I meant with ‘they” not anything more. I only have love in my heart for everyone. I love and support the Jewish community. My deepest apologies to anyone who was offended. Nothing but love always, Jamie Foxx.”
As of Monday, his apology–posted to his IG feed and other social platforms–gained over 27,000 comments on Instagram. The large majority were comments defending the actor’s post as standard AAVE (African-American Vernacular English) and not antisemitism.
Model Winne Harlow wrote, “-_- I’m so confused.. it’s so clear what you were saying.”
Former NBA player Etan Thomas added, “If Jennifer had any Black friends, she would know that “They killed Jesus” is a phrase used in the Black Community to mean if they did that to Jesus, they will talk bad about you, lie on you, betray you, meaning ppl not Jews smh.”
Reality television star, Tanisha Thomas, chimed in too. She wrote:
“Smh this is literally insane! One day they’re praying for you the next they’re trying to crucify ….The selective displaced outrage is crazyyyy to me!! You’ve been unproblematic and out of the way for years King And we will not stand by why you’re unfairly attacked either! I’m so sick of folk going after the good ones for no reason this cancel Mob culture makes me sick these days! If you’re confused, ask a question for clarity don’t just assume!”
Before Aniston shut down her Instagram comment sections, users had flooded it with critiques against her.
And the backlash against Jennifer continued on X (formerly Twitter). HuffPost senior editor and journalist Phillip Lewis declared Jennifer Aniston “owes Jamie Foxx an apology.”
While author, speaker, and radio host, Reecie Colbert, addressed the lack of AAVE knowledge on Jennifer’s part in Lewis’s comment section.
“This is what happens when *in-group speak* is broadcast to people who have zero Black cultural competency and have never been around Black people in a familial setting. It’s obvious to us what he meant, but our own cultural context has zero value or consideration outside of us,” Colbert wrote.”
Writer and podcast host Jemele Hill advised Jamie not to explain himself.
Sports journalist, Robert Littal, called Aniston’s slam “a reach longer than Pippen’s arms.”
KEEP SCROLLING TO SEE ADDITIONAL REACTIONS VIA X
One popular comment on X and elsewhere online was the celebration of the apparent Black unity this past weekend. In addition to defending Jamie, Black Americans seemingly united behind the Black dock worker who was attacked by a mob of white men in Montgomery, Alabama.
