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YouTuber Kian Lawley, who had a starring role in the film adaptation of Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give, has been cut from the project after a video surfaced of him making racist remarks.

Lawley was previously set to play the romantic lead opposite Amandla Stenberg and his scenes will have to be reshot.

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"Due to the controversy surrounding his past comments and behavior, Kian Lawley will no longer appear in The Hate U Give," a spokesperson from the film told BuzzFeed. "The studio plans to recast the role of Chris and reshoot scenes as needed."

Published in 2017, The Hate U Givefollows 16-year-old Starr Carter (Stenberg), a black high school student whose friend is shot by a police officer. It was an instant smash (you should read it!)

Given its resonance and charged material, it makes sense that Fox to recast Lawley under the circumstances – and recent events like Ridley Scott's decision to completely recast Kevin Spacey in a completed film provide Hollywood with precedent for making stars face the consequences of their actions.

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The video of Lawley was posted on Jan. 26 by YouTube user Just Trash and shows him using the N-word (bleeped) and offensive racial stereotypes. Thomas, the book author, has not responded directly to the situation, but might be referencing it in a series of recent tweets:

Tweet may have been deleted

The news was reported first thing on Tuesday, with Lawley responding in a statement later in the afternoon.

Tweet may have been deleted

He likely received the news over the weekend and was already receiving significant backlash over social media, which explains this tweet from Sunday:

Tweet may have been deleted

Lawley went on to tweet Tuesday that "I am fully aware of the mistakes I have made and strive every day to become a better me than I was yesterday. We all have a voice, whether it’s big or small, we need to use it to spread love & light. From now on, I plan to use my voice for positive change."

h/t Buzzfeed

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