Jeremy Tardy, who appeared in the first 3 seasons of Netflix’s hit series “Dear White People,” has exited the show amid allegations of racial discrimination.
Tardy, 29, announced he was leaving the show on Twitter.com on Friday. “Unfortunately I will not be joining Netflix’s Dear White People for its fourth and final season due to my experience with Lionsgate and their practices of racial discrimination,” Tardy wrote in a series of several tweets.
Tardy claims Lionsgate negotiated raises with his white co-stars, but ignored his counter offer for a raise.
“After being offered to return for several episodes my team was notified that our counter offer would not be considered and that the initial offer was the ‘best and final.'”
Tardy said he and other actors “banded together” in late August to reject their offers from Lionsgate. He said Lionsgate negotiated higher offers with white actors which led to them taking the deals before everyone else had received a “fair and suitable negotiation.”
“We were all aware of the notorious pay disparities between people of color and our white colleagues on Netflix and Lionsgate shows; so this made it blatantly obvious.”
He continued: “These companies have recently released statements and even donations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. I am calling out their shameful practices of discrimination and racial inequality with regard to how they have historically undervalued and lowballed people of color.”
The fact that this has occurred
behind the scenes of a show which purports to address systemic issues of racism and discrimination displays the very epitome of hypocrisy.
Lionsgate. Netflix. I see you. We see you.— Jeremy Tardy (@Jeremy_Tardy) September 11, 2020