Towie’s Vas J Morgan claims he was treated differently to white cast mates as he accuses show of ‘systematic racism’
TOWIE'S Vas J Morgan has accused the ITVBe reality show of "systematic racism" as he claimed to be treated differently to his white cast mates.
The 31-year-old star has also said that as the only black male cast member he was used as a "stereotype", and that he regularly heard offensive language being used throughout his experience on the show.
Vas, who appeared on The Only Way Is Essex between 2014 and 2018, said that he decided to go public with his experience after noticing that the show's official Instagram page was deleting his comments under their Black Lives Matter post.
The star explained that he responded to racist remarks from trolls under the photo in a bid to educate them - and was alarmed when he saw that his replies were disappearing.
In a statement posted to his Instagram page, Vas explained: "I have often felt conflicted over the way I was treated and the way I was portrayed.
"During the four years I filmed the show, I was almost never allowed to show any sides of my personality that wasn’t angry, aggressive or negative.
"I was consistently put into situations that perpetuated the same racial stereotype that has been used to oppress and control black people."
He went on to claim that he "repeatedly" asked showrunners to give him the opportunity to show positive sides of his personality, and that he warned them against him consistently arguing with women.
Vas, who is openly gay, shared: "Regardless of my sexuality; I was a 6 feet 2 feet tall black man. This concern was always ignored."
He also said that "racist language" was common in environments he was in, although not directed at him personally - and that it was often said he was the "token representation of minority in our cast".
Vas poignantly notes: "[I was] there to be paraded out as a symbol but never treated equally to the other cast members and despite having some of the most progressive and talked about scenes on the show, my story arc was never nurtured the way that my white counterparts were.";
He recalls being one of the few cast members to not be invited to introduce family members on the show, and that he was not offered off-screen support when he battled depression and substance abuse like his white cast mates were.
Vas detailed his disappointment at Towie bosses not reaching out in light of the growing Black Lives Matter movement that is currently sweeping the globe, and that he felt "guilty" for not speaking out sooner - but he feared being "blacklisted" from the industry.
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 and is an international movement that campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people.
Last month's tragic killing of black American George Floyd after he was arrested by a white police officer in the States has triggered worldwide protests for racial equality across the globe - including up and down the UK.
Vas added: "The experiences I had on the show are part of the systematic racism that for the first time has had a spotlight put on it on a global scale. This systematic discrimination starts from the top down."
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Vas said that during his four years on the show he only worked with one black producer; that there were zero black executives or writers, and that in the 10 years the show has been on air he remains the only black male cast member.
He captioned the lengthy social media statement: "Dear @towie I am sure my invite to the 10 year anniversary series will be rescinded after telling my truth but that is ok because @iamenough".
A Towie spokesman said: “We are concerned to have read Vas’s recent comments about Towie and got in touch with him yesterday evening in the hope we can discuss the issues he’s raised at his earliest convenience.”