Zoe Saldana is planning to give Donald Trump a chance.
Shortly after her controversial comments on why she feels Hollywood has “bullied” the president-elect, the actress spoke with Univision’s Jorge Ramos about why she’s going to give Trump the “respect he deserves.”
Saldana appeared on Ramos’ Sunday show “Al Punto” to discuss her new movie “Live By Night.” During the interview the host asked her about how she’d previously said she’d leave the United States if Trump won.
“I know, and I think I have to wait and see when things start happening,” Saldana said in the interview, translated from Spanish by HuffPost Latino Voices.
“I think it’s my duty as an American to stay here, and see what happens: to unite my voice and my job and my actions to all the people who are trying to push forward, because if I leave in reality I’m not going to be helping this country to continue progressing. I think this country has been successful because those who’ve stayed have kept fighting.”
Ramos then asked her to share her thoughts on Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech, when she criticized Trump for mocking a reporter with a disability. Saldana said the actress’ message had been a “gift” and she hoped the president had learned his lesson.
“And if Donald Trump didn’t want to accept [Streep’s message], let’s hope that he at least has learned from the mistake he made and the shame he went through, because it was his own shame and I hope he learns,” Saldana added. “I have faith in him because he is the president of my nation and I wasn’t raised to prefer one person over another. I was raised to be an American and to give my duty and my respect to America, which is why I’m going to give him the respect he deserves until the other shoe drops, how we Dominicans say.”
Saldana had repeatedly criticized Trump during his campaign, endorsing letters blasting the GOP candidate with both actress America Ferrera and her “Star Trek” cast members. But on Saturday she appeared to have changed her tune when she spoke about the president-elect in an interview with AFP.
“We got cocky and became arrogant and we also became bullies,” Saldana said. “We were trying to single out a man for all these things he was doing wrong,” she continued, “and that created empathy in a big group of people in America that felt bad for him and that are believing in his promises.”
Watch the actress’ Spanish-language interview with Al Punto here.
(H/T Latino Rebels)
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to include more context about Saldana’s comments on Donald Trump.