Jennifer Lawrence Apologizes for Offending Hawaiian People With Butt-Scratching Story

Passengers actress says sorry after joking about an on-set experience

By Jennifer Dill Dec 09, 2016 8:01 PMTags
Jennifer Lawrence, Graham Norton ShowPA Images/Sipa USA

Jennifer Lawrence wants to clear the air.

The Passengers star initially came under fire after making offensive comments about Hawaiian culture during an interview on the Graham Norton Show last week.

At the time, Lawrence told the audience a story about filming the Hunger Games trilogy in Hawaii, and how she often used what were known as "sacred rocks" to scratch her behind.

"There were sacred rocks. I don't know. They were ancestors. Who knows? But you're not supposed to sit on them, because you're not supposed to expose your genitalia to them," she said. "I, however, was in a wet suit for this whole shoot, and oh my God, they were so good for butt itching."

She went on to recount an incident in which she accidentally wedged one of the rocks loose, causing it to detach from the formation. It resulted in a miniature landslide and almost harmed a co-worker.

"It was a huge dramatic deal, and all the Hawaiians were like, 'Oh my God, it's the curse!'" she laughed. "And I'm in the corner going, 'I'm your curse. I wedged it loose with my ass.'"

After the interview was broadcast, it racked up over a million views on the BBC One Facebook page. Fans and critics alike continued to voice their concern over Lawrence's comments, citing them as offensive and ignorant to Hawaiian culture.

In an effort to quell the drama, Lawrence issued a statement via Facebook Friday.

"I meant absolutely no disrespect to the Hawaiian people," she said. "I really thought that I was being self deprecating about the fact that I was 'the curse,' but I understand the way it was perceived was not funny and I apologize if I offended anyone."