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Actor Aisha Dee has told fans of The Bold Type where she stands regarding their concerns around her character. But she’s also engaging in a larger conversation about the industry. In her July 2020 statement, Dee revealed information about previous acting gigs dating back to her teenage years.

Aisha Dee plays Kat Edison in ‘The Bold Type’

Aisha Dee as Kat Edison in 'The Bold Type'
(L-R): Aisha Dee as Kat Edison in ‘The Bold Type’ | Philippe Bosse/Freeform/Universal Television/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Dee stars as Kat Edison, who meets her best friends, Sutton and Jane, while working at Scarlet Magazine. Kat rises up the ranks to become the head of digital and is known for her tenacity and, naturally, her boldness as she launches campaigns and takes the outlet in new, exciting directions.

In The Bold Type Season 4 mid-season finale, Kat gets fired for standing up to the head of the board, RJ. In the second half of the season, Kat works as a bartender, where she grows close to RJ’s daughter, Eva. After learning that Eva is a lesbian, Kat starts to have feelings for her. Fans took issue with this.

She spoke out about her character and the series as a whole

This viewer backlash came alongside a renewed focus on how Black characters (and the actors who play them) are treated. On July 15, 2020, ahead of The Bold Type Season 4 finale, Dee took to social media with a lengthy text post to explain the issues she has with Kat’s recent storyline with Eva, calling it “heartbreaking.”

Moving forward, Dee wrote that she has “had conversations” with those in charge behind-the-scenes. “I’m hopeful we will have the opportunity to tell more authentic stories by hiring, promoting, and listening to diverse voices across the entire production of The Bold Type and beyond.”

Dee referred to her first job on ‘Saddle Club’

Dee also called out her experiences as a child star. “I grew up in Australia in the ’90s – in very white, very conservative spaces,” Dee began the post, adding that she “was always an outcast.” “The truth is, these issues are not exclusive to The Bold Type. The entertainment industry has operated this way since its inception,” she wrote.

“On the set of my first TV show at 14-years-old, my stand-in was in brown face with a curly-haired wig.” The actor is referring to The Saddle Club, an Australian TV series based on the books of the same name. Dee portrayed the character of Desiree “Desi” Biggins in the third and final season.

Did she allude to her time on these shows?

Related

‘The Bold Type’: It Turns Out Aisha Dee Agrees With Fans About Kat’s ‘Out of Character’ Relationship

Dee also wrote, “The Bold Type came into my world at a moment when my self-esteem was at an all-time low.” The series began shortly after the cancellation of her short-lived MTV show Sweet/Vicious. “For the first time in my career, I got to play a character who was centered in her own narrative. She wasn’t just the white character’s ‘best friend,'” she added.

On Sweet/Vicious, Dee played sorority girl Kennedy, the best friend of — yes, a white woman — Jules. This was also not long after her first ABC Family/Freeform series, Chasing Life, in which she portrayed Beth, who is, again, the best friend of the white main character, April.

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