Boy Meets World Star Apologizes for Racist Joke Calling Co-Star “Aunt Jemima”

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Boy Meets World actress, Trina McGee, who played Angela Moore on the hit '90s sitcom, has revealed a male colleague apologized recently for a racist joke he made years ago. 

In January, McGee took to Twitter with a series of tweets in which she opened up about her time on the series. 

The actress claimed she was “called aunt Jemima on set during hair and make up,” as well as a "bitter bitch" after waiting quietly for a scene to complete rehearsing. 

Here is one of the tweets:

Called aunt Jemima on set during hair and make up.

Called a bitter bitch when I quietly waited for my scene to finish rehearsing that was being f’ed up over and over due to episode featuring my character.

Told “ it was nice of you to join us” like a stranger after 60 episodes.

At the time, one fan told McGee to speak with the people who she felt were causing the problems, prompting the following response:

One reply was that calling me Aunt Jemima was the same as calling me The Jolly Green Giant. Just a fictional food character.

I could care less what people call me until the vibe starts to block coins. This is the difference between prejudice and racism.

McGee recently revealed that the actor in question was Will Friedle, who played Eric Matthews, and offered more insight into it:

Someone calling you ‘Aunt Jemima’ on set is hard. But at the time, the person who called me that honestly did not really understand the depth of what that meant and I could see that in his eyes at the time when I addressed him about it.

It was in between hair and make-up and we had to rehearse a scene and I had this wrap on my head, it was an African-style wrap... He was sitting in this chair, I remember, and he was like, ‘You look like Aunt Jemima’ ... At the time it happened, I realize this person really just wanted to get to the joke.

They weren’t necessarily racist, they were just not educated on how much that might offend a black woman or anyone who wears a garment that has to do with their culture.

McGee said she recently spoke to Friedle about the incident, and that it was a "teaching moment." She said that it changed the actor's life and the way he did comedy. 

Here is a post from McGee in which she says she has forgiven Friedle. 

View this post on Instagram

FOR THE RECORD: WILL FRIEDLE the man responsible for AuntJemmagate, apologized to me 22 years ago and again days ago in a in a three-page letter. We talked more on it and he acknowledged that he really wasn’t educated enough in his early twenties to know he was truly offending me. THIS SHOULD AND COULD BE A TEACHING MOMENT FOR ALL. For all people of all races or different backgrounds. He has conveyed to me how much this has changed his perception of comedy. And humanity. We all fall short of sensitivity at times, but let’s be real on what EXTREME RACISM IS. I believe extreme racism is when my grandfather had to leave South Carolina in the middle of the night because the clerk had given him the wrong change and he pointed this out to the white store owner and was threatened with lynching. Scuddie McGee left South Carolina that night for fear of his life. Bringing his small family along with him to New Jersey. I’m not backing down on the truth. It’s stands. Will apologized to me and I forgave him, I then apologized to him for making the statements public because his joke came out of just not knowing, not viciousness and he forgave me. That’s what friends do. Now get back to washing your hands and surviving this pandemic and let love and hope be the next pandemic. #loseonefriendloseallfriendsloseyourself #trinamcgee

A post shared by Trina McGee (@therealtrinamcgee) on

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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