'The Activist' Backlash: Julianne Hough Says 'Wearing Blackface Was A Poor Choice'

Julianne Hough has responded to the backlash she received over her upcoming series "The Activist." The actress announced last week that she will co-host the CBS reality show, along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Usher.

Hough took to Instagram Tuesday to acknowledge the backlash and noted, "The last few days have been a powerful demonstration of real-time activism." She also apologized for donning a blackface Halloween costume in the past.

The 33-year-old dancer and actress said some social media users claimed the show was "performative, promoted pseudo-activism over real activism, felt tone-deaf, like Black Mirror, The Hunger Games, and the hosts weren't qualified to assess activism."

The "Dancing with the Stars" star said the criticism was because they were "celebrities and not activists."

Hough clarified that she does "not claim to be an activist and wholeheartedly agree that the judging aspect of the show missed the mark and furthermore, that I am not qualified to act as a judge."

The "Rock Of Ages" actress also apologized for dressing up as Crazy Eyes from Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" at a Halloween party back in 2013.

"Wearing blackface was a poor choice based on my own white privilege and my own white body bias that hurt people and is something I regret doing to this day," she wrote.

"However, the regret that I live with pales in comparison to the lived experiences of so many," she added. "My commitment has been to reflect and act differently. Not perfectly, but hopefully with a more developed understanding that racism and white supremacy is harmful to ALL people."

Hough revealed that she signed this show because "I was really excited to be a part of something that highlights, and is centered around sharing activists' work on a larger platform."

She added "no response" will make everyone happy but she wants everyone to know "this is a conversation" and she is "still listening."

"The Activist" is a five-week series that will be telecasted on CBS Network from Oct. 22. It will also stream live on Paramount Plus. The competition show will feature six activists from across the globe.