Gabrielle Union recently opened up in detail about what she calls a “terrifying” racist encounter in Croatia.
The actress and super mom told People Magazine that she and some friends had plans to go full fandom by recreating Cersei’s steps from Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik.
In her new book that’s out now, titled, You Got Anything Stronger? she says her small group walked inside what they thought was a gay bar to order drinks. Once inside, they were surrounded by people wearing Jim Crow memorabilia and those supporting the “Neo-Nazi” group.
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Neo-Nazis as a group that hates minorities, gays, lesbians, and those you prescribe to Judaism and sometimes Christianity.
Union says she and her crew immediately felt intimidated.
“I’ve never experienced that level of hatred and the threat of physical violence,” Gabrielle Union told People Magazine, adding that a menacing group proceeded to follow them down the street when they left. “It was such a jolt. And the fear and adrenaline of what happened left us all numb.”
She added, “To go through every instance is to take you through every day of my life. There are microaggressions, and there are all-out assaults. That’s what it is to be a person of color in this country. We think we are post-racial, but we’re not. And that is beyond disappointing. I don’t think people understand the violence that comes with racism, whether it’s if you’re being chased or you’re having to watch someone wear blackface to collect a paycheck. It’s violent.”
Union isn’t the only celebrity to detail a racist encounter in Croatia.
Actor and mogul Jamie Foxx was attacked with racial slurs while in Croatia in 2017. Foxx was in Dubrovnik where he was filming Robin Hood: Origins, in which he plays Little John.
Croatian police filed disorderly conduct charges against two people who used racial slurs to insult Foxx while dining at a restaurant.