'I have learned from my mistake.' Actor BD Wong apologizes for racist comment

Actor BD Wong, known for his work on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the Jurassic Park films, has issued an apology for a racist remark he made on social media, which he has since deleted. The 65-year-old commented on a December 1 Instagram video posted by influencer Mike Holston, also known as "The Real Tarzann." The clip featured an animal sitting on Holston, who is Black, with the caption: "Name this animal wrong answers only."

Wong responded to the post with the comment: "It appears to be a Black man," as reported by Variety and Entertainment Weekly. Both Wong and Holston were contacted for comment by USA TODAY.

Wong, who attended the opening night of The Seat Of Our Pants at The Public Theater in New York City on November 13, 2025, later addressed the incident on Threads. He accepted full responsibility for the comment, calling it "racist and terrible." He wrote:

"Yall I made a very bad joke. As most people in hot water do, I deleted it for Damage Control but its out there & continues to hurt & disappoint & Im really sorry about the hurt part. Super dumb, but I tried to follow the 'Wrong Answers Only' prompt w/the wrongest answer. This succeeded only in that it was Super Wrong."

Wong acknowledged that no one is entitled to leniency and that his remark could have damaged the respect fans had for him. He expressed gratitude to those advocating for a safer internet and stressed that exploiting a harmful, racist stereotype in the name of humor was unacceptable. He concluded:

"Very sorry for the hurt Ive caused & for taking lightly something so deeply injurious."

BD Wong is recognized for portraying Special Agent George Huang on SVU and Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic franchise. His film credits include Father of the Bride and Mulan, and he has appeared in TV series such as Mr. Robot and Gotham. Wongs career began to rise following his Tony Award-winning performance in the 1988 Broadway production of M. Butterfly.

Earlier this year, Wong publicly criticized the casting of White actor Andrew Barth Feldman in the Broadway transfer of Maybe Happy Ending, originally played by Darren Criss, who is of Filipino descent. In his open letter, Wong highlighted concerns about race and representation in theater, stating:

"Asian Actors and the Asian Theatergoing Community are fiercely wrestling over a non-Asian actor replacing the Asian male lead in the Broadway musical 'Maybe Happy Ending.' Please Google this responsibly. It's a real, eternal outcry about race and representation, not an irrational rant about robots."

Author: Sophia Brooks