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The actor and TV presenter Jameela Jamil has come out as queer after facing backlash to her new role as a judge on a TV voguing contest.
The actress, best known for her role in NBC comedy The Good Place, was announced on Tuesday as the host of new contest, Legendary, which is based around the subculture of black and Latin drag balls within in the LGBT community.
The HBO offering will reportedly focus on the dance style Vogueing and will also feature rapper Megan The Stallion.
On Wednesday, Jamil responded after facing criticism for her apparent lack of association to the show’s subject matter.
— Jameela Jamil
(@jameelajamil) February 5, 2020
Posting on Twitter, she said she was scared of coming out “because I was scared of the pain of being accused of performative bandwagon jumping, over something that caused me a lot of confusion, fear and turmoil when I was a kid”.
Jamil added: “I know that my being queer doesn’t qualify me as ballroom. But I have privilege and power and a large following to bring to this show … sometimes it takes those with more power to help a show get off the ground so we can elevate marginalised stars that deserve the limelight and give them a chance.”
Jamil has previously attracted controversy, after campaigning against celebrities who endorse potentially health-damaging ‘detox’ products by posting a parody video in which she ‘shits herself’ in public.
She also previously described the Kardashians as “double agents for the patriarchy.”
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