The 'Good Place' actress says she's just one of the judges on the show, but LGBTQ+ stars claim she's also one of the executive producers along with two non-queer white guys.
- Feb 6, 2020
AceShowbiz - Stars from LGBTQ+ TV shows "Pose" and "Transparent" have claimed Jameela Jamil is more heavily involved in HBO Max's upcoming vogueing competition show than she is letting on.
"Legendary" is inspired by the underground LGBTQ+ club scene which gained momentum between the 1960s and 1980s, and will feature divas battling on teams called 'Houses' in challenges involving fashion, dance, and voguing, for a trophy and cash prize.
While "The Good Place" star Jameela has insisted she's "just one of the judges" on the show, actress Trace Lysette, who stars in comedy series "Transparent", called her out on social media, alleging she is also "the Executive Producer along with two cis (non-queer) white guys who produced (Netflix series) queer eye."
"I interviewed for this gig. As the mother of a house for nearly a decade it's kind of mind blowing when ppl with no connection to our culture gets the gig," the transgender star, who is the founding mother of the house of Gorgeous Gucci, wrote.
While Jameela insisted the pair "weren't up for the same thing," Trace hit back, "I don't have (to) audition to be a house mother... I am one... I never heard back."
And after Jameela came out as queer on social media, and simultaneously slammed the site as being "brutal," Trace added, "Being queer does not make you ballroom... The only thing that makes you ballroom is if you are actually from it."
Meanwhile, "Pose" actor Johnny Sibilly also spoke out, as he retweeted a thread from writer and podcast host Ira Madison III, noting, "Jameela once said she turned down a role as a deaf character because she is not deaf. Announced this publicly to let us know she would never take up space. It is not illogical that many queer people of color yesterday then wanted to know why she, who had not come out as queer would allow herself to be a judge on a ballroom show, a culture she is not familiar with."
Johnny added, "Miss thing basically said 'I can help it that I'm popular' & I'm helping amplify something that otherwise wouldn't be able to exist. BULLS**T!"
"Pose" star and transgender rights advocate Angelica Ross also spoke out about Jameela's casting, while "RuPaul's Drag Race" judge Michelle Visage, who was prominent on the New York ballroom scene, also chimed in, insisting, "And I wasn't even contacted. You know the T."
