Simu Liu Explains Why He Deleted Tweet Against Mark Wahlberg After Receiving Backlash

Simu Liu defended himself after receiving intense backlash from the netizens for deleting his tweet against Mark Wahlberg ahead of their movie.

Liu tweeted about Wahlberg allegedly beating two Vietnamese men in 1988. However, he deleted it after he signed on to work with Wahlberg for an upcoming movie and his move didn't go unnoticed to many netizens. The online users slammed Liu for not standing against Wahlberg after presenting himself as an advocate of Asian Americans.

The "Akira Project" star explained why he deleted the tweet in a post on Instagram. Liu shared screenshots of his past tweet and various tweets from others questioning his decision to delete it. He stressed that his decision had something to do with his career and being a professional. Also, he wanted a positive change on set.

"I deleted a couple of tweets I made regarding the past actions of one of my costars as a gesture of professionalism and to open to door to progressive conversations and (hopefully) positive change," he wrote.

"Obviously it'd be pretty weird to go to work with that tweet still up. I meant what I said in the moment; I was very angry hearing about what happened. But that doesn't mean I don't think there's room to grow and work together to find an opportunity to educate and do some good- which I'm excited to do in addition to shooting the movie. Progressive discussion will lead to dialogue, and dialogue will lead to action."

He went on and encouraged the people to stay positive. He reminded them that he only reacted to share his thoughts on the matter.

"Anyway; hope everyone is staying safe and healthy this holiday! Trying to stay positive in an otherwise jubilant and celebratory time, and I just wanted to share my thoughts," he concluded.

Liu's explanation received mixed responses from his followers. Some supported him while others felt that he should have just left the tweet as it was.

"I think you should of left it up. You just need to explained[sic] why you said what you said at the time and why it is different now like what you did here. It just looks bad when you delete something when it’s already public record," one commented.

"Thank you for taking the time to address this, but I also hope you genuinely take the time to have that conversation with your coworker and that you are not just saying it. Peace," another wrote.

"Thank you for opening the dialogue, exercising patience and empathy, and not shying away from the conversation," Steve Lim added.

Wahlberg was only 16 when the incident happened and the "Patriots Day" star was convicted as an adult for assault and other charges. He was sentenced to three months in jail but was released after serving about 45 days, People reported.

Liu will co-star with Wahlberg in the movie "Arthur the King." He accepted the offer because he adored the script as it tells a beautiful story of how a dog changed the lives of four adventure racers.