Actress Gwyneth Paltrow ignited an unexpected firestorm after tweeting a photo with a caption containing a censored version of the n-word.
Paltrow got up on stage with rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West during the “Watch the Throne Tour” in Paris on Friday. She later tweeted a photo of herself standing near the rappers, with the caption “Ni**as in paris for real.”
“Niggas in Paris” is the title of a song by Jay-Z and Kanye West and one that the pair performed 11 times that night, according to TMZ.
Despite the fact that Paltrow didn’t fully spell the n-word in her tweet, many of her Twitter followers fired back at her for using the word at all, calling it racist.
Paltrow later responded to the criticism, tweeting, “Hold up. It’s the title of the song!,” but her prior comment has sparked an Internet-wide debate over the use of the word and who exactly is allowed to say it. Some fans insisted it’s never alright for someone to use that word, especially in reference to specific people, as some believe Paltrow was referring to Jay-Z and West by saying “for real.”
Other fans rushed to her defense, saying it’s perfectly fine for her to say the word that’s in the title of a song that Jay-Z and West both say themselves.
Here’s a roundup of tweets debating the issue. Is Gwyneth Paltrow in the wrong or in the right?
