The two LA-based actresses were forced to leave the United States as embattled Mayor Karen Bass forced drastic cuts to the fire department and the start of historic, deadly wildfires. Instead, he claimed he was only facing backlash because of his race.
“Act Your Age” co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Kim Whitley defended Bass as calls for him to be fired surged on Saturday.
“She has a spine of steel and has been a black woman in America for a really long time,” Brown said. told TMZ. “None of this is new.”
Mr. Brown, 53, has lived in the City of Angels for nearly 30 years but cannot recall a mayor facing the same scrutiny as Mr. Bass, suggesting the criticism is rooted in racism. did.
“There are fires every year, and I don't remember one in the nearly 30 years I've lived in LA. I've never seen anyone react like this to the mayor and blame one person for a natural disaster. “I've never done that,” Brown said. .
“So, what's different this time?” she asked.
This outraged 'Community' alum said he was 'disgusted' to see the 71-year-old mayor become the sole scapegoat for the deadly blaze, even though the blaze has devastated several cities in the region. ”, he said, so he stood up for the bus.
“She's not even the mayor of every municipality in California. Some people are angry that she didn't fix the Malibu fires,” Brown said. “She's not the mayor of Malibu. What's she supposed to do in a city where she's not the mayor?”
Whitley and her son were forced to evacuate their home in Tarzana after the fire threatened their neighborhood.
The actresses claimed Basu was heartbroken to see the city “she loves” destroyed by fire, and city residents called on Basu to take action.
“Stand behind her and support her. You can see on her face, she's calm,” Whitley said. “Think about it: She has to take care of the city and she doesn’t have time to listen to what’s in the press.
“This is not a time for blame. This is a time for resources. She has reached out far and wide. There are planes coming from other countries to help us.”
Mexican firefighters arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday to help put out the blaze, a sight welcomed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The landing of crews from south of the border came a day after Bass turned down the FDNY's offer to send resources to the Golden State.
JetBlue offered to fly New York's Bravest to the West Coast, but Bus declined the offer, the Post reported Friday. Her office later denied the snub.
Bass has been criticized for her actions since the Palisades fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday morning while she was in West Africa for Ghana's presidential inauguration.
Funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department was cut after Bass awarded a gilded contract to city employees.
The issue began early last year when Mr Bass settled contract negotiations with public sector unions. City employees received 20 to 25 percent pay raises and other perks over five years in dozens of agreements that cost the city $4.5 billion over the life of the contracts, according to an analysis by the city administrator. It took a while. City Journal reported.
Several celebrities have criticized the bus for its handling of the situation.
On Friday, Khloe Kardashian took to social media to defend LAFD Chief Christine Crowley while calling the Los Angeles leader a “joke.”
“I stand with you, Director Crowley!!!! You spoke the truth and had tears in your eyes. 'Cause I know you didn't want to say it, but it's the truth. I did!!!!,” she wrote.
Actor Zachary Levi called Southern California's lack of leadership “criminal negligence” regarding the events and preparations leading up to the fire.
“This is an incredible mismanagement and incredibly poor leadership,” the 'Shazam' star said. Jesse Waters of Fox News.
