Jameela Jamil is back with another post addressing the fallout from her being cast as a judge on HBO’s new reality show Legendary.
People were quick to point out Jamil had no connection with the Ballroom and Voguing scenes. They also voiced reservations that a supposedly straight woman was tapped to become the face of the show instead of the countless queer, mostly black people who make up the scene.
That was until Jamil came out as queer at the height of controversy. In a post entitled “Twitter is brutal”, she said she felt compelled to come out in response to the backlash. This was met with an outpouring of support from some, while others accused Jamil of playing a victim and glossing over the complexity of distinct queer identities and subcultures.
Now Jamil has addressed the backlash to the backlash. Describing last week as “a perfect clusterfuck,” Jamil took to Instagram to explain that she came out in a moment of panic and stress.
“My timing was bad, and in a moment of distress and pain, personal things were blurted out because when you have a secret for decades and you’re traumatized, it always feels like it might just fucking burst out of you at any given moment, even the most inappropriate and unfortunate ones,” she wrote. “I thankfully chose the *most* inappropriate and unfortunate time, maybe ever, for mine.”
Despite being a bit vague about why people called her timing inappropriate, Jamil acknowledged and conceded that her reaction was partially a defence mechanism.
Jamil also included a message for people who may also be in a similar situation. “Do it whenever you feel the time is right, as long as you think you’ll be safe. Don’t feel bad for hiding it for as long as you need, and move at your own pace.”
“But timing aside, better out than in.”
