Video thumbnail for David Oyelowo apologises 'unreservedly' for comments about Black Southern accents.

David Oyelowo apologises 'unreservedly' for comments about Black Southern accents.

Jun 16, 2026

StringersHub

During an interview for the One54 Africa podcast last week, co-hosts Akbar and Godfrey asked the Nigerian-British actor to showcase some of the different dialects he's learned for screen roles. While demonstrating the Black Southern accent, David explained how he starts by using a Nigerian accent and then "you slow it down, you put a lot of slavery in there, and then you start to put a little bit of subservience in it". But following backlash online, the 50-year-old - who rose to fame following his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 film Selma - posted a sincere apology via Instagram.
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