The 'Matrix Resurrections' actress was initially tapped to serve as a judge on the show, which will now proceed as a documentary instead of a competition series, alongside Usher and Julliane Hough.
- Sep 17, 2021
AceShowbiz - Priyanka Chopra has broken her silence on the backlash over upcoming CBS show "The Activist". The 39-year-old actress, who was initially tapped to serve as a judge on the show alongside Usher and Julianne Hough, took to Instagram on Thursday, September 16 to issue a statement about the matter.
"I have been moved by the power of your voices over the past week. At its core, activism is fueled by cause and effect, and when people come together to raise their voice about something, there is always an effect," "The Matrix Resurrections" actress wrote. "You were heard."
Of the show, which will now proceed as a documentary instead of a competition series, the wife of Nick Jonas admitted, "The show got it wrong, and I'm sorry that my participation in it disappointed many of you. The intention was always to bring attention to the people behind the ideas and highlight the actions and impact of the causes they support tirelessly."
"I'm happy to know that in this new format, their stories will be the highlight, and I'm proud to collaborate with partners who have their ear to the ground and know when it's time to hit pause and re-evaluate," she added.
The "Quantico" alum concluded, "There is a global community of activists who fight the fight every single day and put their blood, sweat and tears into creating change, but more often than not, they are rarely heard or acknowledged. Their work is so important and they too deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do."
"The Activist" was originally planned to have six activists from around the world compete to "bring meaningful change to one of three urgent universal causes: health, education and the environment." The success was measured by social media engagement through digital campaigns.
CBS and producing partners Global Citizen and Live Nation announced on Wednesday that it will now become a one-time documentary special. "The Activist was designed to show a wide audience the passion, long hours, and ingenuity that activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same," a joint statement read. "However, it has become apparent the format of the show as announced distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day. The push for global change is not a competition and requires a global effort."
The statement continued, "As a result, we are changing the format to remove the competitive element and reimagining the concept into a primetime documentary special (air date to be announced). It will showcase the tireless work of six activists and the impact they have advocating for causes they deeply believe in. Each activist will be awarded a cash grant for the organization of their choice, as was planned for the original show."
In a separate statement, Global Citizen ssued its own apology over the matter. "Global activism centers on collaboration and cooperation, not competition. We apologize to the activists, hosts, and the larger activist community -- we got it wrong," the philanthropic org said. "It is our responsibility to use this platform in the most effective way to realize change and elevate the incredible activists dedicating their lives to progress all around the world."
