The co-writer and producer of Golden Globes winner “Green Book” apologized Thursday for claiming in a tweet that he saw Muslims cheering in New Jersey after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in Manhattan.
The same inflammatory story was often repeated by Donald Trump during his presidential campaign and his attacks on Muslims. There was no evidence that it ever took place. Nick Vallelonga backed up Trump’s story in his 2015 tweet, claiming he had seen Muslims cheering in a CBS News report. He wrote that Trump was “100 percent correct.”
But Vallelonga — whose film, ironically, is about overcoming racial barriers — apologized Thursday:
BuzzFeed reported the 2015 tweet Wednesday. After BuzzFeed reached out to Vallelonga, his Twitter account was deleted.
“La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz blasted the tweet as “disgusting.” He noted that “Green Book” star Mahershala Ali is Muslim.
It was a week for apologies for “Green Book” creators.
Director Peter Farrelly apologized Wednesday after a 1998 Newsweek story resurfaced about how Farrelly used to flash his penis on film sets.
“I was an idiot,” Farrelly said in a statement, AP reported. “The truth is, I’m embarrassed and it makes me cringe now. I’m deeply sorry.”
In November, “Green Book” star Viggo Mortensen used the N-word during a question-and-answer session at a screening — and later apologized.
Vallelonga won a Golden Globe Award on Sunday for best original screenplay along with co-writers Farrelly and Brian Currie.
The film also grabbed Golden Globes in the musical or comedy category for best motion picture and best performance by a supporting actor for Ali.
“Green Book” is based on the experiences of Vallelonga’s father (played by Mortensen), who was hired in the 1960s to escort black concert pianist Don Shirley (played by Ali) through the Jim Crow South.
Shirley’s family has criticized the film’s depiction of the pianist as a “completely inaccurate caricature.”
