Michael Imperioli says he ‘forbids bigots and homophobes’ from watching ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘The Sopranos’ in the wake of Supreme Court decision
Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Imperioli went viral over the weekend thanks to an Instagram post where he used sarcasm to express his frustration over a recent Supreme Court ruling that, as NPR reported, “carved out a significant exception to public accommodations laws – laws that in most states bar discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
Last week, the Supreme Court voted to allow designer Lorie Smith to “refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and other characteristics,” according to the Associated Press. “The court said forcing her to create the websites would violate her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment.”
The ruling was decided along ideological lines with the six conservative justices voting in favor of Smith while the three liberal justices dissented.
With that context in mind, here’s what Imperioli wrote on his Instagram account: “I’ve decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘Goodfellas’ or any movie or tv show I’ve been in. Thank you Supreme Court for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don’t agree with and am opposed to. USA ! USA!”
Imperioli, a top contender to be nominated for Best Drama Supporting Actor at the 2023 Emmys thanks to his performance in “The White Lotus,” was immediately praised for his cheeky comment, and the remark was quickly aggregated by numerous entertainment websites (including, of course, this very publication).
In addition to his original post, Imperioli also mixed it up in the comments section. “America is becoming dumber by the minute,” he wrote in one comment, CNN reported.
Imperioli is a five-time Emmy Award nominee and Best Drama Supporting Actor winner for “The Sopranos.”
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