Blanca Blanco arrives to the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 6, 2019. Photo / Getty
Blanca Blanco was nervous about attending the 2019 Golden Globes after sparking backlash last year for her infamous red dress.
"I did feel anxiety about showing up at the Golden Globes but at the same time, I attended because making a positive outcome in a stressful situation is stronger than the alternative," the actress told Fox News.
"I will not allow fear (to) interfere with my decision-making as I don't want to develop unhealthy habits — instead I faced and accepted the fear and will continue to grow."
"I am a strong believer that when life throws you lemons that you make lemonade."
The 37-year-old has a largely forgettable range of TV and movie credits to her name but has enjoyed a higher profile in the wake of last year's red carpet scandal.
"Life is so fragile one needs to keep focus and move forward. I felt honoured to be part of the Golden Globes again this year and happy to support the outstanding and talented women and the many actresses that I admire in this great business."
Blanco attended this year's show wearing a hot pink shoulder-baring gown by Christophe Gillarme alongside her boyfriend, actor John Savage.
The appearance comes after Blanco told Fox News she witnessed their home burn live on television after the couple was forced to flee from the Woolsey Fire that had ravaged Southern California in November 2018.
Blanco recently told The Hollywood Reporter she received death threats and "tons of hate mail" after wearing a bright red gown with a thigh-high slit and a plunging neckline during the 2018 ceremony while Hollywood's biggest stars chose to step out in black outfits to keep the spotlight on the sexual harassment and assault scandals plaguing the film industry.
"I've always done my own thing, but I didn't think it would be a big deal for me to wear a red dress to the Golden Globes last year," she admitted to the publication.
"From what I had heard, only the nominees were going to wear black, and I thought it would be silly for me to show up in black."
"Atria Couture made my dress," she added. "I wanted to stand strong and I felt so honoured to be there, but what happened after I walked the red carpet was crazy."
"Photos of me went viral, I became a trending topic on Twitter and I got death threats and tons of hate mail."
Blanco said she had no idea she would get slammed for wearing red instead of black.
"I support [Time's Up] — it had nothing to do with not supporting the cause," she explained. "It was incredible to see all the courageous women come forward over the past year. I take responsibility for wearing colour while everyone else wore black."
Still, Blanco said the bold fashion move only boosted her career. In fact, she still owns the infamous dress.
"Some good things happened," she said. "My social media following tripled, and my IMDb profile was ranked in the top 30 for several weeks. I was able to stay busy all year, and I did some films and magazine photo shoots."
At the time of the controversy, Blanco told Fox News she didn't mind skipping the suggested dress code.