Michelle Rodriguez says Liam Neeson isn't racist because he and Viola Davis made out on screen

Amid the fallout over Liam Neeson's shocking story about once wanting to murder a random black person, actress Michelle Rodriguez is supporting her co-star with one weird argument.
Rodriguez on Wednesday said that the controversy over the actor's comments is "f---ing bullsh--" and that he is "not a racist," Vanity Fair reports. As evidence, she pointed the opening scene of Widows, in which Neeson passionately kisses Viola Davis. "His tongue was so far down Viola Davis' throat," she said. "You can't call him a racist ever. Racists don't make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue — so deep down her throat. I don't care how good of an actor you are." Rodriguez contended that the story is "all lies" and that Neeson is a "loving man."
Neeson had sparked controversy earlier this week when he revealed in an interview that decades ago, when a friend of his told him she was raped and identified the perpetrator as a black man, he was so angry he went out with a weapon hoping a random black person would pick a fight with him so he could murder them. Neeson said he was shocked by his own behavior and raised this story to connect with the themes of his new film Cold Pursuit, a revenge-thriller. He appeared the next day on Good Morning America and said he is "not racist" after telling the exact same story a second time. The red carpet premiere of Cold Pursuit was subsequently canceled, and he will reportedly no longer appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Friday as planned.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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