When Stars Experience Racism

Oprah, Rihanna and other A-listers targeted by bigots.

Tamera Mowry-Housley - Society has come a long way from "separate but equal," but it's no secret that racism still exists. Even celebrities aren't immune to bigoted comments directed at them. Tamera Mowry-Housley found true love with Fox News correspondent Adam Housley but had to deal with haters who called her a "white man's whore" for marrying him. “The fact that in this day and age, we get attacked for our interracial relationship is beyond sad…it is pathetic,” said Mowry-Housley. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for EGPAF)

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Tamera Mowry-Housley - Society has come a long way from "separate but equal," but it's no secret that racism still exists. Even celebrities aren't immune to bigoted comments directed at them. Tamera Mowry-Housley found true love with Fox News correspondent Adam Housley but had to deal with haters who called her a "white man's whore" for marrying him. “The fact that in this day and age, we get attacked for our interracial relationship is beyond sad…it is pathetic,” said Mowry-Housley. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for EGPAF)

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - Kimye are used to haters dissing their every move, but an 18-year-old kid in Beverly Hills took things too far when he called Yeezy the N-word and referred to Kardashian as a "n----r lover." The taunts caused West to snap, creating another court case on his rap sheet.(Photo: Splash News)

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West - Kimye are used to haters dissing their every move, but an 18-year-old kid in Beverly Hills took things too far when he called Yeezy the N-word and referred to Kardashian as a "n----r lover." The taunts caused West to snap, creating another court case on his rap sheet.(Photo: Splash News)

Gabby Douglas - The Olympic gymast became America's sweetheart when she brought home the gold, but not everybody was ready to throw her a parade. Douglas later opened up to Oprah Winfrey about painful memories of teammates who allegedly bullied her, even using racial slurs and calling her a "slave." Douglas said, "I definitely felt isolated, I felt 'why am I deserving this? Is it because I'm Black?'" (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Gabby Douglas - The Olympic gymast became America's sweetheart when she brought home the gold, but not everybody was ready to throw her a parade. Douglas later opened up to Oprah Winfrey about painful memories of teammates who allegedly bullied her, even using racial slurs and calling her a "slave." Douglas said, "I definitely felt isolated, I felt 'why am I deserving this? Is it because I'm Black?'" (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Leona Lewis - Despite her international fame as a recording artist, not everyone was bleeding love for Leona Lewis. The singer recalled a 2009 incident in which a shopkeeper kicked her and her father out of a store. "I couldn't believe it. She said, 'I don't like the look of him,' pointing at my dad." Adds Lewis, "She came up to my face, shouting, 'Get out or I'm calling the police'. I was crying and bawling. I said, 'No. I'll call the police. This is racism.' I'd never experienced anything like that. Being judged by the colour of your skin is horrible." (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Leona Lewis - Despite her international fame as a recording artist, not everyone was bleeding love for Leona Lewis. The singer recalled a 2009 incident in which a shopkeeper kicked her and her father out of a store. "I couldn't believe it. She said, 'I don't like the look of him,' pointing at my dad." Adds Lewis, "She came up to my face, shouting, 'Get out or I'm calling the police'. I was crying and bawling. I said, 'No. I'll call the police. This is racism.' I'd never experienced anything like that. Being judged by the colour of your skin is horrible." (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Darius Rucker - When a racist tweet telling the singer to "leave country music to white folk" showed up on Rucker's Twitter feed, he couldn't resist retorting. "I read a couple of his tweets and was like, 'This guy's a real racist; he ain't kidding,'" Rucker says. "I was like, 'I have to expose this idiot.' We think we've come such a long way, and there's always somebody that wants to take a step back." Rucker replied with, "WOW. Is this 2013 or 1913?"(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Darius Rucker - When a racist tweet telling the singer to "leave country music to white folk" showed up on Rucker's Twitter feed, he couldn't resist retorting. "I read a couple of his tweets and was like, 'This guy's a real racist; he ain't kidding,'" Rucker says. "I was like, 'I have to expose this idiot.' We think we've come such a long way, and there's always somebody that wants to take a step back." Rucker replied with, "WOW. Is this 2013 or 1913?"(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Rihanna - Rih Rih has been called many things, but we can't imagine what was on the mind of Eva Hoeke, the editor of Dutch magazine Jackie, who thought it would be flattering to refer to the bad gal as a "n----rb---h" in print. Needless to say, Hoeke was promptly cut down by two simple words from Rihanna ("F--k You.") and fired. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)

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Rihanna - Rih Rih has been called many things, but we can't imagine what was on the mind of Eva Hoeke, the editor of Dutch magazine Jackie, who thought it would be flattering to refer to the bad gal as a "n----rb---h" in print. Needless to say, Hoeke was promptly cut down by two simple words from Rihanna ("F--k You.") and fired. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)

Halle Berry - She's one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but Halle Berry believes the industry that made her a household name also has a long way to go when it comes to racism. "I've been called a n----r straight to my face," said the Monster's Ball actress. "But there's also much more subtle insidious ways that racism occurs here in Hollywood ... I don't care what anyone says. They may think it doesn't exist but it's usually those who aren't Black. The struggle for a woman of color to find good material is still very present, and it's a struggle I fight every day. "  (Photo: Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

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Halle Berry - She's one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but Halle Berry believes the industry that made her a household name also has a long way to go when it comes to racism. "I've been called a n----r straight to my face," said the Monster's Ball actress. "But there's also much more subtle insidious ways that racism occurs here in Hollywood ... I don't care what anyone says. They may think it doesn't exist but it's usually those who aren't Black. The struggle for a woman of color to find good material is still very present, and it's a struggle I fight every day. "  (Photo: Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

Amandla Stenberg - This young star's triumphant turn in The Hunger Games was nearly spoiled thanks to a slew of shocking racist tweets by supposed fans of Suzanne Collins' young adult novel. "Why does Rue have to be Black, not gonna lie kinda ruined the movie," one bigoted fan tweeted, while another added, "why did the producer make all the good characters Black?" (Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

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Amandla Stenberg - This young star's triumphant turn in The Hunger Games was nearly spoiled thanks to a slew of shocking racist tweets by supposed fans of Suzanne Collins' young adult novel. "Why does Rue have to be Black, not gonna lie kinda ruined the movie," one bigoted fan tweeted, while another added, "why did the producer make all the good characters Black?" (Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

Mariah Carey - Mimi's music transcends racial boundaries, but her early days on Long Island hit a few low notes. The biracial singer and actress revealed last year that she was spat on as a child, just like her character in The Butler. "I know people would be in shock and not really want to believe or accept that, but it did … That right there, that was almost the deepest thing to me in the movie because I know what she went through, and it happened to be a bus as well. It was a school bus. In the face and in the same way."(Photo: Ilya Savenok/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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Mariah Carey - Mimi's music transcends racial boundaries, but her early days on Long Island hit a few low notes. The biracial singer and actress revealed last year that she was spat on as a child, just like her character in The Butler. "I know people would be in shock and not really want to believe or accept that, but it did … That right there, that was almost the deepest thing to me in the movie because I know what she went through, and it happened to be a bus as well. It was a school bus. In the face and in the same way."(Photo: Ilya Savenok/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Shemar Moore - The multi-racial Criminal Minds actor revealed to us that, for him, racial taunting began at a young age. "I still remember the first time someone called me n----r. I was six," he says. "I remember how different everyone made me feel when I was in school. 'Why does your hair look like that, why is your skin that color, how come your mom is white, how can you be cousins with so-and-so?'"(Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

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Shemar Moore - The multi-racial Criminal Minds actor revealed to us that, for him, racial taunting began at a young age. "I still remember the first time someone called me n----r. I was six," he says. "I remember how different everyone made me feel when I was in school. 'Why does your hair look like that, why is your skin that color, how come your mom is white, how can you be cousins with so-and-so?'"(Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

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Nina Davuluri - As the first-ever Indian American to win the Miss America pageant, Davuluri broke ground for brown girls everywhere. But, like Vanessa Williams before her, Davuluri faced racist backlash for her win. Williams reached out to support her fellow pageant queen, recalling "how coincidental" their historic wins were. “It’s crazy. Same night, same locale, and same state. And unfortunately, same bashing as well. I had to deal with it at 20, and she’s dealing with the same issue at 24. I told her she was a trailblazer, and if she ever needed any advice to please call.” (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Thurgood Marshall College Fund)

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Nina Davuluri - As the first-ever Indian American to win the Miss America pageant, Davuluri broke ground for brown girls everywhere. But, like Vanessa Williams before her, Davuluri faced racist backlash for her win. Williams reached out to support her fellow pageant queen, recalling "how coincidental" their historic wins were. “It’s crazy. Same night, same locale, and same state. And unfortunately, same bashing as well. I had to deal with it at 20, and she’s dealing with the same issue at 24. I told her she was a trailblazer, and if she ever needed any advice to please call.” (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Thurgood Marshall College Fund)

Condola Rashad - Phylicia Rashad's talented daughter landed the role of a lifetime playing the leading lady in Broadway's Romeo and Juliet — and got to make out with Orlando Bloom to boot. But not everybody was as excited for her. "Some people are afraid of a Black Juliet," Rashad told us, choosing to keep a cool head in response to some brutally racist tweets. (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

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Condola Rashad - Phylicia Rashad's talented daughter landed the role of a lifetime playing the leading lady in Broadway's Romeo and Juliet — and got to make out with Orlando Bloom to boot. But not everybody was as excited for her. "Some people are afraid of a Black Juliet," Rashad told us, choosing to keep a cool head in response to some brutally racist tweets. (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Anika Noni Rose - The Watsons Go to Birmingham actress says she still experiences racism regularly, and was even referred to as a "Black monkey" by a bigoted caller to a radio show while she was promoting the film. “I put that out there because I wanted people to see this is what happened, so let’s not get really comfortable and let’s not forget to teach how wrong this is and to teach love,” she explains. (Photo: Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

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Anika Noni Rose - The Watsons Go to Birmingham actress says she still experiences racism regularly, and was even referred to as a "Black monkey" by a bigoted caller to a radio show while she was promoting the film. “I put that out there because I wanted people to see this is what happened, so let’s not get really comfortable and let’s not forget to teach how wrong this is and to teach love,” she explains. (Photo: Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

Laurence Fishburne - Fishburne spent months in Australia shooting the Matrix trilogy, but admitted he found the country "a bit isolating." He said to a group of journalists, "The only way for you to really get this is you need to go to a country where there is nothing but Black people and you need to be there for a month-and-a-half or two months and you need to be in a room one day when you are the only white person in a room, and then you'll get it." (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

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Laurence Fishburne - Fishburne spent months in Australia shooting the Matrix trilogy, but admitted he found the country "a bit isolating." He said to a group of journalists, "The only way for you to really get this is you need to go to a country where there is nothing but Black people and you need to be there for a month-and-a-half or two months and you need to be in a room one day when you are the only white person in a room, and then you'll get it." (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Oprah Winfrey - They must not get television in Zurich. That's the only way we could explain why a shopkeeper in the Swiss city would deny one of the richest women in the world, Winfrey, the opportunity to buy a pricey Hèrmes handbag, telling her, "it's too expensive." We think this is one of those situations that warrants the phrase, "Don't you know who I am?" (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Oprah Winfrey - They must not get television in Zurich. That's the only way we could explain why a shopkeeper in the Swiss city would deny one of the richest women in the world, Winfrey, the opportunity to buy a pricey Hèrmes handbag, telling her, "it's too expensive." We think this is one of those situations that warrants the phrase, "Don't you know who I am?" (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)