Actress Marlee Matlin, who is deaf, issued a statement Friday in response to The Daily Beast’s report that Donald Trump repeatedly referred to her as “retarded” during her time on “Celebrity Apprentice.”
“The term is abhorrent and should never be used,” Matlin said. “The fact that we are talking about this during a very important moment in history has upset me deeply.”
The Academy Award–winning actress, who appeared on Trump’s reality show in 2011, explained that Trump’s words reflected the “discrimination and misunderstanding” millions of people like her face every day. Though Trump has yet to respond to The Daily Beast’s report, he has a storied history of using the offensive slur.
But instead of stooping to Trump’s vulgar level in her statement, Matlin went out on a very Michelle Obama–like “When they go low, we go high” moment.
“So, what’s my response? It’s not about insults or taking each other down,” the actress said. “As a person who is Deaf, as a woman, as a mom, as a wife, as an actor. I have a voice. And I’m using that voice to make myself heard ... and vote.”
We have a feeling she’s #WithHer. Read Matlin’s full statement below:
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