YouTube star Kian Lawley loses movie gig after racist comments

February 6, 2018 at 21:31

Lawley was cast in "The Hate U Give," based on the Angela Thomas novel, late last year.

(CNN) - YouTube star Kian Lawley will not appear in the upcoming adaptation of bestselling young adult novel "The Hate U Give" after a video of Lawley making racist statements began making rounds online.

"Due to the controversy surrounding his past comments and behavior, Kian Lawley will no longer appear in 'The Hate U Give,'" A spokesperson for Twentieth Century Fox Films said in a statement to CNN. "The studio plans to recast the role of Chris and reshoot scenes as needed."

An undated video of Lawley making racist remarks was uploaded late last month by YouTube user Just Trash. Though it has just more than 42,000 views, the video drew enough attention to prompt a response from Lawley two days ago, before he was let go from the film.

"If u don't learn from ur mistakes, u can never grow as a person," he wrote on Twitter. "I've learned a lot & i am grateful to have the power to change."

Lawley has not indicated when the video was filmed.

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