Hollywood figures took to social media to share their reactions following the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial over the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.
00:00Hollywood figures took to social media to share their reactions following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial over the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.
00:09Former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, to the ground with his knee for approximately nine and a half minutes.
00:21The explosive case triggered worldwide protests and a re-examination of racism and policing in the U.S.
00:28Members of Hollywood, such as Chris Evans, Lupita Nyong'o, Elizabeth Banks, and Viola Davis simply expressed their relief over the guilty verdicts, while others also called to continue the fight in achieving equality and justice for the black community.
00:42Among many others, actress Kerry Washington tweeted,
00:44A guilty verdict, but this fight for justice is not over. We have a lot of work to do. There is more fight ahead of us. But right now, please take care of yourself and let's take care of each other. Prayers and love to the family of George Floyd.
00:58Coet Amanda Gorman wrote,
00:59A reminder that victory would be George Floyd being alive. Everyday black Americans worry if they will be next is another day without justice.
01:08Barack Obama tweeted,
01:09Today, a jury did the right thing, but true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied.
01:23Hillary Clinton wrote,
01:25George Floyd's family and community deserved for his killer to be held accountable. Today, they got that accountability. Always and forever, Black Lives Matter.
01:33Elsewhere, Stephen Colbert reflected on the verdict during Tuesday's Late Show.
01:37Today is one stop on a journey that began last May and led to protests calling for that accountability in every town and every city in America. But this is just one stop. There is more work to be done.
01:49Actor and activist Kendrick Sampson spoke to The Hollywood Reporter after the guilty verdict was announced, calling it a huge moment towards healing and added,
01:57The verdict is just a piece of what we're asking for now. We have to continue the fight to make sure that we keep up the demand to defund the police and to divest from a harmful system and bring about true justice.
02:09And Trayvon Free, the writer and co-director of Two Distant Strangers, an Oscar-nominated short about police brutality, which was directly inspired by George Floyd's killing, shared his reaction with THR, saying in part,
02:21The world has witnessed the justice system making a firm declaration that what we witnessed wasn't just inhumane, it was murder at the hands of a man who was sworn to serve and protect everyone in the community he patrolled.
02:33The fight to end police violence is not over, and one verdict won't change the system that perpetuates it.
02:39But it is a sign that we have the ability to move in the direction of a society where these things no longer happen.
02:45For more on this story, head to THR.com.
02:47For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Neha Joy.
02:51For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Neha Joy.
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