1 Race Has Impacted Denée Benton’s Life
Denée Benton, who stars in The Gilded Age, opens up about how race has impacted her life, even when it comes to watching her favorite period dramas on television. “I was with the rest of the world binging Downton Abbey,” she told Tatler, adding that she felt disconnected due to the fact that nobody looked like her. “Unfortunately, whitewashing can be such an intentional part of keeping people out of stories so that we don’t feel empowered,” she said. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
2 She Brought Up Meghan’s Oprah Interview
Benton brought up Meghan’s famous interview with Oprah, explaining why she and Harry stepped down as working Royals. She discussed not only the implied racism she experienced, but the fact that nothing had been done to help her when she was struggling with suicidial thoughts. “Nothing was ever done,” Meghan told Oprah. “So we had to find a solution.”
3 She Said Meghan Was “Set Up” for Racist “Abuse”
“It’s such a layered conversation, obviously,” said Benton. “Being the first and only [person of color], you’re really set up for an incredible amount of abuse – the system isn’t set up to support you. And I think that [because of] the lineage of the really profoundly devastating effects of colonization as it relates to the monarchy, you can’t necessarily just pop a black person in.”
4 She Doesn’t Blame Meghan for Protecting Herself
She continued: “It requires a lot of reckoning. Unless you’re ready to do that work, then the person who’s put in that position ends up suffering more than the changes they are able to make. It’s [going to take] much more than one person coming in to trigger all of that change. It doesn’t really work. They just get eaten alive or make the choice to protect themselves and [in the latter case], I’m like, power to you, sis!”
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5 She Jokes That She May Have Been Royalty in a Past Life
Benton herself says she connects with the Royals. “My friends joke I must have been royalty in a past life,” she continued. “I don’t know why. Maybe because I’m not afraid to ask for help and support, or for someone to bring me nice things.”
