‘The Activist’ host Priyanka Chopra reacts to social media backlash

Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, on Thursday, said that she is sorry that her association with the television show ‘The Activist’ disappointed her fans. The 39-year-old was at the center of a controversy when her role as a judge on the show was criticised by social media users.

In the statement released on Instagram, Chopra wrote, “The show got it wrong and I’m sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you.”

Chopra further clarified her intentions for participating in ‘The Activist’ saying that it originally meant to highlight the actions and impact of the issues they supported.

She said, “The intention was always to bring attention to the people behind the ideas and highlight the actions and impact of the causes they supported tirelessly.”

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Thursday’s statement added, “I’m happy to know that in this new format, their stories will be the highlight, and I am proud to collaborate with partners who have their ear to the ground and even when its time to hit pause and re-evaluate.”

Social media users have criticised the concept of the show and said that it trivialises the meaning of activism and having dedication for a cause that troubles many. The show has been called its “elite”, “capitalist” and “business-minded”, “dystopian” and “removed from reality”.

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In addition to Chopra, multiple-Grammy winning singer-songwriter Usher, and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ star Julianne Hough were picked as the hosts of the show.

The original format of the show was designed around 6 participants who would pick a “cause” of their choice and work on it with assistance from one of the hosts.

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Global Citizen, a website that brought Coldplay to Mumbai in 2016, is behind the show’s concept. According to their website, Global Citizens is a movement to end extreme poverty by 2030.

“On our platform, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards for their actions — as part of a global community committed to lasting change”, the platform’s website says.