Halle Berry is receiving all the praise at the moment, not only for her latest role in the new John Wick movie but for refusing to skip two interviews with a pair of black journalists on the red carpet.
Emerald Marie, a reporter from Where Is The Buzz TV, was one just two black journalists who were sent to the premiere of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Emerald recalled being excited to interview the Oscar winner, but was quickly cut off by the actress’ publicist. Instead of walking away, however, Berry made the decision to turn around and speak with Emerald and the other black male journalist, Lamar Dawson.
“I can’t skip my brother and sister,” Berry said, according to Marie.
The latest incident is unfortunately common for black journalists and media companies. “Oftentimes, black reporters and black outlets are pushed to the end and unable to get the proper interview that they need,” Marie explained. Because of Berry’s generosity, Marie said she has a “newfound respect” for the actress.
Dawson also released a statement to VIBE about his interaction with Berry. “Emerald and I were standing next to each other on the carpet and were discussing how too often Black reporters are skipped at these events–and then it nearly happened to us. It’s a big issue that needs to be addressed. Our stories deserve to be told, too,” he said. “When Halle came back, I was able to talk to her quickly about her show ‘Boomerang’ and how important it is for the show to feature Black, LGBTQ storylines–an interview question the mainstream outlets aren’t going to ask thus underscoring the importance of diversity in newsrooms and the importance of outlets that seek to give a voice to marginalized people. I’m grateful for Halle for seeing us out there.”
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum starring Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry hit theaters today (May 17). Check out Emerald Marie and Lamar Dawson’s full recaps from the red carpet below.