Comedian responds to Charlyne Yi's accusations

 Arrested Development star David Cross has denied charges of racism, after actress Charlyne Yi accused him of mocking her ethnicity.

In a series of tweets Yi, who played Dr. Chi Park in House, called out Cross for putting on a cod Chinese accent and suggesting she would be good at karate.

But the comedian said ‘I don’t remember this at all’ and insisted the incident she described would be out of character.

Yi  said: ‘I think about the first time I met David Cross ten years ago & he made fun of my pants (that were tattered because I was poor). Dumbfounded I stared at him speechless and he said to me "what's a matter? You don't speak English?? Ching-chong-ching-chong".

‘Then after he saw I was offended he asked me if I was going to fight with him karate in a southern accent.’

She said that when she met Cross again a few years later he appeared to not recall the incident, saying: ‘He was re-introduced to me after my comedy show with his girlfriend at the time & he said "Hi nice to meet you".

‘I will say this: I can tell the difference between this man making a joke vs condescending me. This happened 10 years ago and I sure as hell hope he's changed (or at the very least, he's scared enough to not be his racist self).

‘HOWEVER it is very uncool that a 40+ man was being racist towards me, being a young 20 year old woman who was clearly on the verge of tears from his first racist comment.’

Cross wrote: in response: This seems crazy and WAY out of character for me…  i dont remember this at all! It’s bonkers to me and WAY, way out of character.’

And he invited Yi to contact him privately ‘so I can understand all of this’. 

He said: ‘This accusation from Charlyne took me by surprised and was deeply upsetting. I would never intentionally hurt someone like that. I do not remember doing this when I met her. 

‘I am NOT accusing Charlene [sic] of lying and l'm truly sorry if I hurt her; it was never my intention to do that. I do not remember it like she remembers it (and clearly we're quite a bit far apart on this) but I reached out to her privately and expressed that and more, including the possibility that perhaps we are beth misremembering *exactly* what happened that night? 

‘Anyway, I can't believe l have to write this but I am not a racist nor a bully and loathe them in real life.’

Yi, who started her career with the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy company, was born in California to a Filipina mother and a father of mixed ethnicity, including Korean.

Both actors are voicing characters in the forthcoming animated movie Next Gen.

Published: 18 Oct 2017