Robert De Niro blasted Apple, the studio behind his latest film Killers of the Flower Moon, after the company apparently edited his speech at the Gotham Awards — without his knowledge.
De Niro was on hand to introduce Killers of the Flower Moon director Martin Scorsese, who was honored with the Gotham Historical Icon and Creator Tribute. While reading from his prepared remarks, the actor noticed that a portion of his speech had been edited.
“The beginning of my speech was edited, cut out, and I didn’t know about it And I want to read it,” De Niro said (via Variety).
He proceeded to read the unedited version of the speech from his phone: “History isn’t history anymore. Truth isn’t truth, even facts are being replaced by alternative facts and driven by conspiracy theories and ugliness.”
“In Florida, young students are taught that slaves developed skills that could be applied for their personal benefit. The entertainment industry isn’t immune to this festering disease. The Duke, John Wayne, famously said of Native Americans, ‘I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.’”
“Lying has become just another tool in the charlatan’s arsenal. The former president lied to us more than 30,000 times during his four years in office, and he’s keeping it up in his campaign of retribution. But with all his lies, he can’t hide his soul. He attacks the weak, destroys the gifts of nature, and shows disrespect — for example, by using ‘Pocahontas’ as a slur.”
De Niro then took a swipe at Apple. “So I’m going to say — to thank [Apple] and all that… but I don’t feel like thanking them at all for what they did. How dare they do that.”
“i have to thank apple and all that but i don’t feel like thanking them at all for what they did. how DARE they?”
robert de niro qas absolutely brilliant during his #gothamawards speech presentation
— lulo | ed teach supporter (@mishajackles) November 28, 2023
