Transgender activist and actor Angelica Ross has accused former co-star Emma Roberts of intentionally misgendering her when the two worked together on “American Horror Story: 1984.”
On Tuesday, Ross said on Instagram Live (which was later shared on X, formerly Twitter) that Roberts implied she was a man while the two were between takes on a set.
Advertisement
According to Ross, she was having a conversation with Roberts and director John J. Gray, when Roberts jokingly complained to Gray that Ross was being mean to her.
Ross recalls that Gray tried to defuse the situation by saying: “OK, ladies, that’s enough. Let’s get back to work.”
According to Ross, this prompted Roberts to reply with: “Don’t you mean lady?”
Angelica Ross at her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the hit musical "Chicago" in 2022.
Bruce Glikas via Getty Images
Ross said that Roberts’ transphobic implication that Roberts was the only “lady” in the conversation left her outraged.
Advertisement
“My blood is boiling because I’m like, if I say something, it’s gonna be me that’s the problem,” Ross explained. “I know this because there was someone who spoke up about what she was doing, and they got repercussions from it.”
Elsewhere during her Instagram Live, Ross also claimed that Roberts often played “mind games” with those who worked on “AHS: 1984.”
“Folks seemed like they wanted to fight her all the time because she was playing psychological games on set,” Ross said of Roberts.
Ross claims that the “Nancy Drew” star got away with this behavior because Roberts made “it very clear that she was No. 1 on the call sheet, and she was the one in charge.”
Ross later claimed on X that Roberts’ made another transphobic joke about her during filming. Ross explained that she was imitating a co-star’s accent in front of Roberts, and so Roberts decided to do an impression of Ross.
Advertisement
“Emma then copies my voice & laugh and drops it several octaves. I was SHOOK,” Ross said, adding that she was “self conscious about my voice on set after that.”
The funniest part? We’re all sitting around & I’m copying Cody’s accent. Didn’t know he had one. Emma then copies my voice & laugh and drops it several octaves. I was SHOOK. She read me for blood with my own words 😂 of course I was self conscious about my voice on set after…
HuffPost has reached out to Roberts for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Roberts, however, seems to have reached out to Ross to apologize.
On Wednesday, Ross posted a follow-up on X:
“Thank you @RobertsEmma for calling and apologizing, recognizing your behavior was not that of an ally. I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform.”
Thank you @RobertsEmma for calling and apologizing, recognizing your behavior was not that of an ally. I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform.
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
