Matilda Green apologises for racist 'jokes', asks trolls to leave her family alone

Matilda and Art Green have both apologised. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Bachelor star and influencer Matilda Green has returned to social media to issue a full apology for racist "jokes" she made about husband Art Green's use of brownface and to ask critics to leave her family alone after she says they were targeted with "awful" abuse.

Green posted the apology to Instagram after racist comments made by the couple resurfaced on social media.

The comments, made in a 2018 interview with Anika Moa, saw the pair trying to explain why Art Green had darkened his skin for a celebrity costume party in 2015.

"It was more brownface," Art claimed.

"It wasn't full blackface and it was also brown body," Matilda said, while Art added: "Actually, technically it was Indian, so would that be yellow face?"

"No, that's Asian!" Matilda and Moa replied.

The pair faced a backlash after the 2015 incident, which saw Matilda comment "Best night with this chocolate-covered treat" on a photo of the smiling couple.

Matilda Green described Art Green as her "chocolate-covered treat" after the 2015 party. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Both Matilda and Art issued apologies on Tuesday but Green went further today, saying that she was "ignorant and coming from a place of privilege".

Urging her followers to read an online article on 'Being Antiracist', Green wrote: "I am so deeply sorry for any hurt that was caused to anyone by our actions in our interview with Anika Moa. The last thing I would ever want is for someone to be hurt by something I have said or done.

"I understand it is worth taking the time to put together the right words so nothing is missed and the intent is shown.

"Racism is never OK, in any form. I intend to keep learning and I hope we all keep moving in the right direction," she added.

"To reiterate: We shouldn't have done what we did, we shouldn't have said what we said. We were ignorant and coming from a place of privilege and we get that now.

"If we were in the same circumstances today, I can assure you we would behave very differently."

View this post on Instagram

The link isn’t letting me upload it but here it is in the mean tim: https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/being-antiracist

A post shared by Matilda Green (@matootles) on Aug 26, 2020 at 3:09pm PDT

Writing that she initially intended on disabling comments on her post, Green revealed that her family had received "quite awful" abuse in the wake of the video's re-emergence earlier this week."

"However I am a grown woman and I know when I've made a mistake and I am committed to listening and learning," she wrote, adding that she "will not tolerate any abuse towards my family or anyone else".

The Herald has contacted Green for comment on this story.

This is the second time this year that Matilda Green has been criticised for a lack of racial sensitivity.

The influencer apologised in June after she was involved in a PR event involving high-profile New Zealand influencers that was widely criticised.

Colgate's "White Night In" event saw several New Zealand influencers take to Instagram dressed in white satin pyjamas to promote Colgate toothpaste.

It occurred at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Matilda Green apologised for her involvement in Colgate's "White Night In".

Speaking on her Instagram stories, Green said at the time that she was "very sorry," adding that the event was "definitely tone deaf and insensitive".

"It definitely shouldn't have happened."

The influencer also addressed criticism of the "lack of diversity in the guest list".

"I got the full list ahead of the event. I assumed it would be diverse, I didn't even think about it," she said.

"I have definitely learnt from that.

"I need to take responsibility and use my influence to make sure that these guests lists of PR events are diverse because it's important," she added.