Film director Spike Lee says he has resolved the situation caused by his retweet of a Florida family’s address thought to belong to George Zimmerman, the man since acquitted in the self-defense shooting of teen Trayvon Martin.
In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) appearance, Lee directly addressed a confrontational question about the controversial story: “What do you have to say about the time you tweeted George Zimmerman’s incorrect address and endangered an innocent ladies [sic] life?”
The director, known for such films as Do The Right Thing, 25th Hour, and Inside Man responded, “I spoke to the family and everything is cool. It was taken care of months ago. They hold no ill feelings towards me.”
Breitbart News’ Kerry Picket reported in July that the elderly couple living in the home whose address Lee put on his Twitter feed faced a new round of threats as Zimmerman’s trial proceeded. Sanford police even took to monitoring their house, according to a local news outlet.
Lee referenced Martin in a previous answer, discussing the racial issues of Do The Right Thing. A Reddit user commented, “I remember reading that you once said that only white people have ever asked you whether Mookie did the right thing or not. Black people never seem to ask this question as they seem to tacitly understand Mookie’s actions. My question to you is why do you think this is the case?”
“When black people watch Do The Right Thing and they see Radio Raheem strangled by two NYPD police officers, African-Americans know there’s been a history of police brutality,” Lee explained. “If you go to Trayvon Martin or the recent indie hit Fruitvale Station which is based on a recent true story.”
Lee is conducting the AMA in the months preceding his next theatrical feature, a remake of the South Korean revenge film “Oldboy.” He is also promoting a Kickstarter to fund an upcoming vampire-themed film, so far only known as “The Newest Hottest Spike Lee Joint.”