John Wilson, the head of the Golden Raspberry Awards (The Razzies Awards), issued an apology after receiving backlash for nominating 12-year-old “Firestarter” actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong for Worst Actress.
In a statement written by Wilson obtained by Deadline, he wrote, “Sometimes, you do things without thinking, Then you are called out for it. Then you get it.”
“It’s why the Razzies were created in the first place,” he added.
In his statement, he referred to the backlash as “valid criticism.”
“The recent valid criticism of the choice of 11 year old Armstrong as a nominee for one of our awards brought our attention to how insensitive we’ve been in this instance. As a result, we have removed Armstrong’s name from the Final Ballot that our members will cast next month. We also believe a public apology is owed Ms. Armstrong, and wish to say we regret any hurt she experienced as a result of our choices,” he shared.
He also announced a new “Voting Guideline,” which will prohibit underage performers or film-makers to be considered for their awards.
“We have never intended to bury anyone’s career. It is why our Redeemer Award was created. We all make mistakes, very much us included,” he explained.
He concluded, “Since our motto is “Own Your Bad,” we realize that we ourselves must also live up to it. Sincerely, John Wilson, The Razzie Awards.”
Armstrong’s nomination was announced on Jan. 23 and received a fair amount of backlash from users on Twitter.
“Having friends who used to be child actors and knowing the struggles they went through, it’s very NOT ok that the Razzies nominated a 12-year-old actress (who incidentally was great in the movie). #Razzies,” one Twitter user wrote.
Having friends who used to be child actors and knowing the struggles they went through, it’s very NOT ok that the Razzies nominated a 12-year-old actress (who incidentally was great in the movie). #Razzies https://t.co/5PdyY8UjTa
— Sarah O'Connell (@SarahO_Connell) January 23, 2023
Time for the @RazzieAwards to bow out. There was a moment when the joke was funny and people were in on it (Bullock, Berry), but nominating a 12 year old is utterly classless and shows that the whole thing has descended into a piteous mess. Enough now. #Razzies #RazzieAwards
— DMac™ (@1nclusionRider) January 24, 2023
Another Twitter user suggested that it was time for The Razzie Awards to “bow out.”
“Time for the @RazzieAwards to bow out. There was a moment when the joke was funny and people were in on it (Bullock, Berry), but nominating a 12 year old is utterly classless and shows that the whole thing has descended into a piteous mess. Enough now. #Razzies#RazzieAwards,” the twitter user wrote.
Some of the other female nominees on the list include actresses Diane Keaton and Alicia Silverstone.
