Ellie Kemper Update: Veiled Prophet Organization Defends Actress After Massive Backlash
Recently, an old photo of Ellie Kemper has made its rounds on Twitter. The image is now considered controversial and off-putting.
It received a lot of flak because it confirmed her attendance at the 1999 Veiled Prophet Ball in St. Louis, a town where she grew up.
It is the same ball where the "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" actress was reportedly named the Queen of that year's prom.
However, the entire hullabaloo peaked as soon as other social media users suspected that Veiled Prophet has tied with the White extremist organization, KKK.
It heightened speculation when an old picture of the Veiled Prophet Ball featured a fictional character wearing a robe and an elongated headgear, similar to what the KKK is also wearing.
While the former "The Office" actress has not fully addressed the controversy, organizers of the Veiled Prophet Ball, which is currently called Fair St. Louis, explained their stance on the allegations that they are racist and have past connections to KKK.
Veiled Prophet Ball Denies The Disturbing Allegations
The organization said in a statement to The Sun, "We reject racism and have never partnered or associated with any organization that harbors these beliefs."
They also clarified that the organization has always worked for good things, such as civic progress, economic contributions, and charitable causes.
They also offered a more detailed dive into their history, where they reportedly have hosted several community projects and even donated money and service hours to support their charity partners.
The Veiled Prophet also aided in the infrastructure and gifts to St. Louis, such as the Mississippi River Overlooking, the Eads Bridge, the Riverfront Promenade, and the Grand Staircase at the National Park System.
Veiled Prophet Defends Ellie Kemper
An unnamed staff of the Veiled Prophet Organization has also defended Ellie Kemper and the event, saying, "The organization, back in the late 50s, early 60s made a concerted effort based on the premise that you cannot serve the community unless that entire community is represented in the organization."
"Since its founding, the organization was created to do something positive and help make St. Louis a better place to live."
19-year-old Ellie Kemper has crowned the Queen of the 1999 Veiled Prophet Ball among the other attendees.
The source said that the actress's participation was years after the ball's efforts reflected the St. Louis community's accurate representation, even adding that Ellie participated well beyond any potentially problematic point in its history.
According to reports, most of the contestants and organizers of the ball all hailed from an elite background.
Ellie Kemper received serious backlash over the weekend and started to trend Twitter following the controversy for her alleged "racist links" to the organization.
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