Beloved British comedian and LGBTQIA+ ally Dawn French has issued a public apology after sharing a video that drew criticism for how it referenced the October 7 Hamas attacks and the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
Dawn French, best known for her iconic role in The Vicar of Dibley and as one half of French and Saunders, the brains behind Absolutely Fabulous, faced swift backlash online after posting a 40 second video intended to satirise political justifications for violence.
The video, which used exaggerated tones and sarcastic phrasing, was interpreted by some as trivialising the horrors of the October 7 attack in which Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
In the clip, French mimicked what she described as political rhetoric: 鈥淵eah, but you know they did a bad thing to us 鈥� and we want that land 鈥� and we have history 鈥� Those people aren鈥檛 really even people, are they?鈥�
She concluded each line with 鈥渘o鈥�, implying her rejection of the logic.
The backlash was swift, including criticism from fellow entertainers.
Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman said she was 鈥渟addened鈥� by the video, writing: 鈥淭his mocking voice 鈥榖ad thing鈥� of October 7 that Dawn (who I revere by the way) appears to be mocking involved the most horrific terrorist attack.鈥�
Comedian Lee Kern added: 鈥淲hat you sneeringly mock as a 鈥榖ad thing鈥� included the grieving children I met in hospital鈥� You proactively broadcast 鈥� with misplaced pride 鈥� a wicked glee in your mockery and dismissal of Jewish suffering, pain and death.鈥�
French responded by removing the video and issuing an apology: 鈥淥K, it鈥檚 important to address this. I posted a video in the style I鈥檝e been using for social media in an effort to convey an important point. I clumsily used a mocking tone.鈥�
鈥淢y intention was NEVER to mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror of what happened on Oct 7 2023 and what continues to unfold from that brutal, unthinkable, unforgivable, savage attack,鈥� she said.
She clarified that her intent was 鈥渢o mock and point the finger of shame at the behaviour of the cruel leaders on all sides of this atrocious war,鈥� but admitted, 鈥渃learly I failed to do that, and that鈥檚 on me.鈥�
French also expressed empathy for victims on both sides, stating, 鈥淢y heart broke鈥� for those 鈥渒illed, tortured, [raped] and kidnapped,鈥� and described feeling 鈥渉elpless and hopeless鈥� as the 鈥渃arnage and destruction worsen.鈥�
鈥淚 hope you will understand my intention was not to offend, but clearly I have. For which I am sorry and I have removed the video.鈥�
