While you may not know actress Tara Strong by her face, there’s a good chance you’ve heard her voice work. The 50-year-old actress has voiced classic characters from The Powerpuff Girls to Rugrats, and she just returned as the voice of Miss Minutes in Loki season 2. She’s also currently accused of being racist over the recent war in Israel. We’ll explain why.
In the last 24 hours, a militant movement called Hamas launched an all-out assault on Israel on Oct. 7, killing hundreds, kidnapping citizens, and forcing Israel into a full-scale war. The group governs the Gaza Strip, which houses more than two million people.
The conflict has been going on since 1948 when the State of Israel was first created, and it’s ebbed and flowed in various incarnations since then. The latest chapter in the conflict is one of the deadliest of the whole conflict, and more than 1,100 people have been killed since it began on Saturday, per NDTV. In addition to the physical conflict, there’s been the social media and public relations front, and a number of celebrities are using their platform to speak about the issue. Strong is one of those, and her comments have gotten her into some hot water.
Who is Tara Strong?
Tara Strong is an actress who’s been performing since she was 13 years old when she scored the coveted role of Hello Kitty. Over the years she’s voiced some of the most iconic characters in animated television history, and She’s played hundreds of characters over the years, but here are some of her most notable:
- Hello Kitty in Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater
- Illyana Rasputin in X-Men: The Animated Series
- Dil Pickles in Rugrats
- Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls
- Timmy Turner in The Fairly OddParents
- Raven in Teen Titans
- Harley Quinn in various DC Properties
- Miss Minutes in Loki
Why is Tara Strong being accused of Racism?
Tara Strong has spent the last few days posting a litany of pro-Israel sentiments to her social media pages. In response, many have accused her of racism.
The backlash was swift. Shortly after posting Strong was called out for her views. Many were critical of her stance, and stature as a public figure, accusing her of ignoring information regarding the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
The information she’s being accused of ignoring is an infographic sourced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
Strong is not the only celebrity embroiled in the controversy. Fellow voice actor and Star Wars star Mark Hamill has faced similar backlash for his tweet regarding the conflict. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis also posted a picture about the issue, of scared children under attack with the caption “TERROR FROM THE SKIES” but quickly deleted it when someone pointed out it was actually Palestinian children.
Reality star Kylie Jenner shared a post that said, “Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel,” but deleted it “within an hour” after backlash, per Page Six.
