Many Hollywood stars were quick to judge a group of high school students who were accused of mocking a Native American participant in the Indigenous Peoples March, which coincided with the March for Life over the weekend.
An initial snippet of video featuring the incident – which shows high school junior Nick Sandmann and Native American activist Nathan Phillips – quickly gained traction on social media, with many condemning the students – some of whom were wearing "Make America Great Again" apparel – and some called for them to be identified and harassed. However, the emergence of a longer video that appears to show some students being harassed prompted some to take back their earlier criticisms of the students.
KENTUCKY STUDENT SEEN IN VIRAL CONFRONTATION WITH NATIVE AMERICAN SPEAKS OUT
While some celebrities, like Jamie Lee Curtis, walked back their criticism after more information came out about the controversial video, others doubled down in expletive-laden Twitter rants.
Kathy Griffin, for example, called for the Covington Catholic High School students in the video to be doxed so that she and the public should shame them for their behavior.
“Ps. The reply from the school was pathetic and impotent. Name these kids,” Griffin said in a fiery tweet Sunday morning. “I want NAMES. Shame them. If you think these f---ers wouldn’t dox you in a heartbeat, think again.”
John Cusack scolded the students in a lengthy social media post, calling their behavior disrespectful while slamming the kids' apparent support of President Trump.
“This Covington School thing is beyond belief…the lack of basic Respect for an elder (any elder) is the number one symptom of a SICK society….MAGA CATHOLICS paving the road of ignorance…you are a DISGRACE…look that word up, it means something….learn your History, Catholics,” the star wrote Sunday. “Grow some spine Clergy…lead by example and stop embarrassing the rest of us who know better. There is NO supporting MAGA that can be rationalized.”
Debra Messing was significantly less subtle in her rebuke, calling the students “A--HOLES.”
KENTUCKY CONGRESSMAN BASHES MEDIA COVERAGE OF CONFRONTATION
“Mocking, condescending, disrespecting, A--HOLE,” she tweeted Monday.
Comedian Michael Ian Black simply tweeted side-by-side images of Sandmann and Phillips alongside an image of white boys harassing African-American students during the Civil Rights era.
Rosie O’Donnell responded to the tweet about the video saying, “horrible smug a--wipe.” She later shared a tweet comparing Sandmann to Brett Kavanaugh.
“Avengers” star Chris Evans took to Twitter to highlight the “appalling” nature of the video.
“This is appalling. The ignorance. The gall. The disrespect. It’s shameful. And sadly on brand. When something like this isnt even surprising, it’s evidence to our place in the cycle of recreating our darker chapters,” he wrote. “That Native American man showed incredible strength and dignity.”
Comedian Patton Oswalt chimed in on Twitter, writing Saturday, “This is the Vietnam vet the kids from @CovCathColonels were mocking. Chanting ‘BUILD THAT WALL’ to a Native American. This clip is VERY hard to watch, fair warning."
Tim Robbins questioned the teachings of the students' school as it relates to their faith.
“Who are these good Christians? What school is teaching them to hate with such contempt and ignorance? How does this behavior reflect the life and lessons of Jesus Christ? They were bussed into DC for the March for ‘Life’. #ExposeChristianSchools,” he tweeted.
“This is a disgrace,” wrote Ed Asner. “This is not America.
Michael Green went as far as to say that Sandmann is beyond forgiveness.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Plus side: A face like that never changes. This image will define his life. No one need ever forgive him,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, “Halloween” actress Jamie Lee Curtis took a different approach when she apologized for her initial reaction to the video. Along with a quote from Sandmann’s statement, the actress shared her thoughts on the matter.
“There are two sides to every story. I made a snap judgment based on a photograph & I know better than to judge a book by its cover. I wasn’t there. I shouldn’t have commented. I’m glad there wasn’t violence. I hope these two men can meet and find common ground as can WE ALL!”
Film producer Jack Morrissey issued an apology Monday for a tweet that was meant as a joke but was taken as a violent threat. The “Beauty and the Beast” producer wrote in a since-deleted tweet that he wanted to see the kids go “hats first into the woodchipper.”
“It was something that I did not give any thought to,” he told TheWrap. “It was just a fast, profoundly stupid tweet. … I would throw my phone into the ocean before doing that again.”
"The Middle" star Patricia Heaton posted a lengthy threat on Monday calling for those in the media that were quick to denounce the students to give more than the apologies they're giving.
"I'm seeing what I believe to be sincere apologies from some journalists and verified media persons regarding their lack of professionalism in rushing to judgement re the #CovingtonCatholic situation," she wrote in part. "These apologies are welcome and necessary, but they don't address the damage that cannot be undone which was inflicted upon young people who are about to embark on adulthood - applying to colleges, looking for employment, etc. These young people will forever have these smears follow them through their life every time they proffer their resume with the word "Covington" on it. It will also affect anyone who ever has or ever will attend that school. The damage is incalculable."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The star concluded by asking for "compensatory action" to accompany their apologies but noted that she doesn't believe this will happen.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this report identified Phillips as a Vietnam War veteran. That has since been found not to be the case.