Entertainment
‘Green Book’ Writer Agrees With Trump on Anti-Muslim 9/11 Lie
Green Book is the scandal-filled feel good movie of the year.
January 10 2019 8:13 AM EST
January 10 2019 8:13 AM EST
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Green Book is the scandal-filled feel good movie of the year.
Nick Vallelonga looked at Kevin Hart's tweets and said: "Hold my beer."
As seen in the case of Kevin Hart-gate, old tweets, like clownery, come back to bite. That goes double if you're going to get anywhere potentially near the Oscar stage. The latest person whose old tweets have reared their (very) ugly head is Nick Vallelonga, the now Golden Globe-winning screenwriter of the liberal white racism feel-good flick Green Book, which just won best picture at the Golden Globes. Vallelonga is the son of the film's main character, a Bronx-Italian type who is definitely racist but whose heart is changed, kinda, by virtuoso musician Dr. Donald Shirley, portrayed in the film by Mahershala Ali.
In November 2015, Vallelonga tweeted that Trump was "100% correct" about "Muslims in Jersey City" cheering the 9/11 attacks on TV. Vallelonga is referencing one of Trump's many infamous lies, specifically that he saw with his own eyes Muslims in Jersey City celebrating on 9/11. There is, of course, no evidence that ever happened. Since the tweet began to go viral, Vallelonga has deleted his Twitter account, though screenshots, like diamonds, are forever.
Adding insult to injury is that Mahershala Ali, who plays Shirley, is Muslim. Vallelonga has previously faced criticism for his script, namely that Shirley said he didn't want the film to be made. Ali even had to apologize to existing members of Shirley's family for inaccuracies in the film. Ali called them up and said, according to Vulture, that he was "not aware" Shirley had existing relatives.
Several industry people have already tweeted their disgust with Vallelonga and the sentiment in his tweet.
Jordan Horowitz, a producer on La La Land and The Kids Are All Right, wrote, "Nick Vallelonga wrote Green Book. My industry just gave him a Golden Globe for writing. This remains on his timeline. Mahershala Ali is a Muslim, and a beautiful, generous and kind man. This is all just too disgusting."
Despite its many awards, Green Book has faced several other controversies. The film's director Peter Farrelly apologized for past sexual misconduct, including exposing himself to Cameron Diaz on the set of There's Something About Mary. During a Q&A about the film, star Viggo Mortensen also said the n-word aloud, which he later apologized for.
Related | Queer Films Won Big at the Golden Globes -- But Queer Representation Did Not