Scarlett Johansson has accused editors at a publication of altering her divisive comments on "political correctness" for "clickbait".
In a cover interview for AS IF magazine, the actress insisted she has the right to "play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job".
"I feel like it's a trend in my business and it needs to happen for various social reasons, yet there are times it does get uncomfortable when it affects the art because I feel art should be free of restrictions," she added.
Johansson's comments drew huge criticism online, with movie fans pledging not to see her films anymore. In light of the backlash, she released a statement over the weekend claiming her comments in the interview had been "edited for clickbait" and "widely taken out of context".
"The question I was answering in my conversation with the contemporary artist, David Salle, was about the confrontation between political correctness and art. I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actor should be able to play anybody and Art, in all forms, should be immune to political correctness. That is the point I was making, albeit didn't come across that way," the 34-year-old said in her statement obtained by editors at Entertainment Tonight. "I recognise that in reality, there is a widespread discrepancy amongst my industry that favours Caucasian, cis gendered actors and that not every actor has been given the same opportunities that I have been privileged to. I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included."
Last year, Johansson backed out of the role of a transgender character in the film Rub & Tug following widespread backlash from the LGBTQ community.
And in 2017, she came under fire when she took the starring role in the big-screen adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, the manga cartoon whose main character is Japanese.
