The West Side Story star, Ariana DeBose, who deleted her Twitter account after receiving backlash over her disastrous performance at BAFTA Awards on Sunday, took to her Instagram Story on Monday to share a quote in an attempt to respond back to her critics.
“Babygirl [sic], in a world full of choices, choose yourself,” read the message, which was originally shared by the BossBabeCorner account.
This cryptic post is the only public statement DeBose, 32, has made since her rap performance at the ceremony, in which she covered the Eurythmics’ Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves and Sister Sledge’s We Are Family.
At one point, the Oscar-winning actress added her own rap in which she mentioned the names of award show’s female nominees.
"Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my ‘Woman King.’ Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us," she rapped as the camera cut to each actress.
The rap garnered instant attention on social media and the fans flocked to comment section on the ridiculous nature of reducing acclaimed Bassett, 64, to someone who simply "did the thing."
"Ariana DeBose has reportedly turned down a performance at King Charles III’s coronation," joked one Twitter user.
"This whole performance hurts more when you remember that Ariana Debose has more Oscars than Angela Bassett," tweeted another.
"Ariana DeBose’s rap at BAFTA is simultaneously awful and amazing. Like, I can’t stop watching it," wrote a third viewer.
However, BAFTAs showrunner Nick Bullen, clapped back at people who made fun of the performance.
"The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were sort of dancing to the music," he told Variety.
"That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it’s been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that" he added.