Indigenous Neighbours star demands statue of explorer be ripped down and claims he ‘raped her ancestor many times’ – after accusing cast of hit show of bullying
- Shareena Clanton called on a statue of Alexander Forrest to be taken down
- She posted a photo of her sticking her middle finger up at the Perth sculpture
- Clanton claimed he raped her great great grandmother and tortured others
- Forrest, who died in 1901, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia
Indigenous Neighbours star Shareena Clanton has demanded a statue of explorer Alexander Forrest be taken down while claiming he raped her ancestor.
The first nations actress posted a photo to Instagram of her sticking her middle finger up at the sculpture in Stirling Gardens in Perth.
‘This man raped my Great Great Grandmother many times and tortured many other Aboriginal women as he tried to cover his filthy tracks by beating them, having them work as slaves in his home or bearing his illegitimate children,’ she captioned the post.
‘One of which was my Great Grandmother, Mary Malcom. My Wongatha/Yamatji family name is directly connect to this ‘Forrest’ family because of his violent actions and behaviour towards our mob.
Indigenous Neighbours star Shareena Clanton has demanded a statue of explorer Alexander Forrest be taken down while claiming he raped her ancestor
The first nations actress posted a photo to Instagram of her sticking her middle finger up at the sculpture in Stirling Gardens in Perth
‘There’s a workplace environment that seems to have made it permissible for many years that discrimination, harassment and bullying has been allowed to occur,’she told ABC’s 7.30 Report
‘Statues of rapists and human rights abusers shouldn’t be given central locations and plaques of ‘honour’.’
Forrest, who died in 1901, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, and later also a member of parliament.
He explored many areas of remote WA, particularly the Kimberley region.
The post comes two months after the 30-year-old actress accused the Neighbours producers of fostering a toxic workplace environment and claimed the show was a ‘culturally unsafe space’.
Among several complaints, Clanton accused a staff member of making crude remarks and claimed she heard the N-word used on set twice, prompting production company Fremantle to bring in an Indigenous consultancy firm to carry out a review.
‘I’m struggling to post anything positive about the months I endured on Neighbours after multiple racist traumas and navigating ongoing counselling from this highly problematic show,’ she wrote on Instagram earlier this month.
‘It’s been lonely, triggering and traumatising to work in such a culturally unsafe space.’
While she didn’t name specific staff members, Clanton – who has Aboriginal and African American heritage – listed several ‘racist’ and problematic incidents she apparently witnessed during filming.
lanton – who has Aboriginal and African American heritage – listed several ‘racist’ and problematic incidents she apparently witnessed during filming
Claims: Shareena said she heard the N-word used on set several times and reported it. Despite asking cast to stop using the slur, Shareena claimed she it was used again in later conversations
Actress Sharon Johal released a statement about her ‘painful’ four years on Neighbours, which included racial slurs, mocking comments and a colleague calling her a ‘c**t’
She claimed: ‘A [staff member] thought it funny and appropriate to openly laugh at the word ‘cum slut’ by a cast member who loudly spoke about ‘cum’, ‘cum’, ‘cum’ in front of other cast and crew.
She continued: ‘A senior staff member openly laughed whilst using the term ‘slave driver’ in reference to him ‘working hard’. My management at the time didn’t help as they endorsed/encouraged this ‘office banter’. I fired the agent.
‘Overt and covert levels of racism were rife, often disguised as ‘jokes’, like a white actress openly calling another actress of colour a ‘lil’ monkey’.’
‘Twice I endured the N-word openly being used on-set and in the green room. I was even told to ‘go somewhere else’ by staff when confronting the actor directly because I was making others ‘uncomfortable’.’
A day later, former Neighbours cast member Meyne Wyatt alleged that he had also experienced racism on set in a tweet.
Actress Sharon Johal, a Punjabi Sikh Australian, also released a statement about her ‘painful’ four years on Neighbours, which included racial slurs, mocking comments and a colleague calling her a ‘c**t’ after she confronted them over an offensive remark.
Johal said a cast member ‘referred to me as ‘the black one’ and/or ‘blackie’ behind my back in the presence of other crew members’.