Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson apologized on Friday after posting a 2004 photo of herself petting the belly of a dolphin to Instagram, which some commenters condemned because of the implication that Larson supported animal cruelty.
“I posted a photo previously that encapsulated a silly moment in my weird life. I forgot that through social media and random interviews you do not know all the facets of me and what my concerns are,” Larson, 26, wrote. “We should be concerned about the well being of all animals. Yes, Dolphins. Along with every other creature. There are problems with animals in captivity. There are problems with animals living in the wild. It has always been a priority of mine to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. I apologize if the photo appeared to endorse animal cruelty. I don’t believe any living thing deserves miss treatment. In the comments section feel free to discuss your thoughts, concerns, articles ANYTHING that can turn this into a moment of education for myself all who are interested. We gotta remember that we will make mistakes but we can learn from them, together. Much love.”
In addition to the apology, Larson, who won best actress at this year’s Oscars ceremony for Room, edited the original photo to note she does not “support animal cruelty.”
Despite the initial backlash to the throwback picture, commenters on Larson’s Instagram were largely supportive of the actress. “Those condemning @brielarson have probably been to a zoo as children,” one fan wrote. “This was more than a decade ago! People really love to get up on their high horses to feel superior.”
Check out both pictures below.
