Simu Liu has a few words for fans who attempted to rally behind him after he suggested a new bubble tea company's sales pitch was culturally appropriative by attacking the owners.
The Barbie alum recently joined Dragons' Den , a Canadian Shark Tank -esque series, as a guest Dragon, where he heard a pitch from Sébastien Fiset and Jess Frenette , who created a bottled bubble tea—a traditional Taiwanese beverage—brand called Bobba.
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During their brand presentation, Fiset suggested they had “transformed this beloved beverage into a convenient, healthier, ready-to-drink experience." Although the company had seen success so far—recently ending its second year with $4.6 million in revenue according to the founder—Liu was hesitant about “this idea of disrupting or disturbing bubble tea."
He agreed that while there can be "new takes on things," there's "an issue of cultural appropriation [when you are taking] something that's very distinctly Asian in its identity and quote, unquote, making it better."
"What respect is being paid to this very Asian drink that has blown up around the world, and is it in your teas?" he questioned.
Many who viewed the interaction as it went viral on TikTok agreed, with one commenting, "Simu is right, I will be side eyeing this at the store lol."
Others expressed frustration over the founders and his fellow potential investors brushing off his concerns. Still, some apparently took it a step further, directly harassing the company in the wake of the episode airing.
As a result of the online bullying, Liu took to TikTok to address the "crazy social media moment" he found himself in.
While he expressed gratitude for the conversations to educate people about cultural appropriation, he said he's also "been made aware that the business owners have received a lot of death threats and harassment and otherwise just kind of bullying and dogpiling," which he wanted to put an immediate end to, "full stop."
"It's never OK to make threats," he said. "It's never okay to bully and harass online."
He clarified that the business owners deserve "valid criticism," but that it needs to be provided in a constructive way. "I just don't want the legacy of this segment to be pitchforks and people fearing for their safety," he continued. "I think we're starting to lose the plot..."
The company later took to social media to address Liu's concerns and the backlash, too, issuing a lengthy statement acknowledging the actor's "very valid points."
Still, some fans felt it was too little, too late, calling it a "'sorry I got caught' apology."
Liu, however, gave the pair the benefit of the doubt, sharing that he believed they came on the show "in good faith" and hoping to see improvement in their practices moving forward.
Next: Simu Liu Opens Up About "Healing" After "Twisted" and "False" Stories Online
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