Actor Zach Braff apologized on Twitter Monday after he was accused of being racist for comparing Pharrell Williams’ Grammy attire to the outfit of a monkey in the film Oz the Great and Powerful.
Sunday, in a message that has since been taken down, Braff tweeted, “Grammys are time delayed in LA (?!) but someone just sent me this #IWoreItBetter,” along with a photo of Williams in a bell hop costume next to Finley the monkey, who was seen wearing similar attire in the 2013 film.
Braff, who voiced the character of the monkey in Oz, apparently didn’t realize a comparison between Pharrell and Finley might be misconstrued as racist.
He tweeted Monday to offer an apology:
Pharrell took the stage in an all black outfit with a matching bellboy hat at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards to perform a group rendition of his single “Happy.”
That performance also seemingly included a tribute to the #blacklivesmatter movement, by demonstrating the “Hands up, don’t shoot” protest gesture.
Braff is best known for his portrayal of the character J.D. on the long running sitcom Scrubs. He also wrote, directed, and starred in the 2004 film Garden State.