Tituss Burgess has expressed his support for Ellie Kemper after she apologised for participating in what she described as a “racist, sexist, and elitist” ball in the 1990s.
Kemper issued the apology on Monday via Instagram, after a photo of herself at the 1999 Veiled Prophet Ball in St Louis, Missouri resurfaced on social media.
“When I was 19 years old, I decided to participate in a debutante ball in my hometown,” she wrote in part.
“The century-old organisation that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist past. I was not aware of this history at the time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved.”
Burgess, who portrayed Titus Andromedon in the comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (in which Kemper played the title role) between 2015 and 2019, shared Kemper’s statement on his own Instagram account.
“I love my Ellie,” he wrote next to a heart emoji. “Oh, & P.S. Next time, just ask me, I’ll tell ya what to do.”
Kemper, in turn, wrote in the comments section: “I love you Tituss.”
In a 2014 article, The Atlantic described the Veiled Prophet as “a parade founded by white elites in 1877 to protect their position”.
Kemper added in her apology on Monday: “I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy. At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards.”
