“That is so stupid,” Jackson immediately responds.
“That’s the most ridiculous, horrifying story I’ve ever heard…
Number one, it’s my face as a child in the commercial.
Credit: Chris Walter/Getty Images
Me when I was little.
Why would I want a white child to play me?
I’m a black American.
I’m a black American.
I’m proud to be a black American.
I am proud of my race.
I am proud of who I am.
Does that make sense?”
“No,” Winfrey replies.
“So, hey, people stop believing these horrifying stories,” Jackson concludes.
“Is your skin lighter because you don’t like being black?”
Jackson visibly bristles at the question, explaining he has vitiligo, a skin disease that destroys pigmentation.
“It’s a problem for me.
I can’t control it, okay?”
He gave a deposition in 1996 explaining his point of view.
“He was probably closer to my color than his original color,” Fiennes said.
“It’s a light comedy look.
It’s not in any way malicious.
It’s actually endearing.”
