Priyanka Chopra & ABC Apologize For ‘Quantico’ Episode Featuring Indian Terrorists

A recent episode of Quantico, the ABC FBI thriller series, has come under fire for its negative depiction of Indians, and now its network and star have come out to apologize.

The episode in question, “The Blood of Romeo,” which originally aired on June 1, features a group of Indian Hindus carrying out a terrorist attack in Manhattan with nuclear weapons with the goal of having it blamed on Pakistan. Many viewers took offense at this storyline, noting how unrealistic it would be for Indians to attack a metropolitan area with so many Indian residents.

Disappointment was also expressed with the involvement of the show’s star, Priyanka Chopra, a native of India who is the first Bollywood actress with a leading role in an American prime-time TV show. Furthermore, the relationship between India and Pakistan continues to be a sore spot for many of both countries’ residents.

In response, Chopra issued an apology on Twitter:

ABC then released a statement of its own, in which it attempted to shift blame off Chopra and onto the production team: “ABC Studios and the executive producers of Quantico would like to extend an apology to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, ‘The Blood of Romeo.’ The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it. She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series. ‘Quantico’ is a work of fiction. The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone.”

Quantico was cancelled by ABC in May, and it is in the midst of airing its third and final season on Friday nights.

Check out Chopra’s uInterview: