A popular French TV show, Sept a Huit, is facing waves of criticism from Black fans after airing an episode that included an interviewee in blackface.

Sept a Huit aired an episode on Sunday featuring an interview with a 17-year-old rape victim named Nina who spoke about her book Papa, Viens Me Chercher and her time as a child involved in the sex trade, Daily Mail reported.

To protect her identity, the show covered her face in Black paint and gave her a frizzy wig.

Sept à huit accusé de «Blackface»:Harry Roselmack répond à la polémique https://t.co/3jyYHRhep4
pic.twitter.com/HF2vdskOgp

— Courrier picard (@CourrierPicard) February 19, 2020

There was immediate backlash from Black French people and the controversy made its way across the pond throughout the week as more outlets began to cover the situation.

#septahuit le blackface pour cacher l'identité de la fille, ça gâche tout le reportage on peut même pas se concentrer sur l'important, son histoire. Au pire vous cachez son visage hein.

— ???????????????????????????? (@Dizzy396) February 16, 2020

Le blackface de #septahuit c’est une sombre blague? Donc au lieu de floutter son visage ou de l’interviewer de dos, ils ont préférés l’a déguiser en « noire»… pic.twitter.com/NmdnAKvq10

— ????????‍♀️ (@r13nho) February 16, 2020

C’est moi ou elle s’est grimée en femme noire? #septahuit
pic.twitter.com/Jf69n1EkqI

— Issa Mess (@Elia_SaintHeron) February 16, 2020

Par pitié dites moi que c’est sa vrai couleur de peau et non un maquillage pour pas être reconnue ????????. #septahuit
pic.twitter.com/3Royrp04nL

— ???? Sissie lima ???? (@SBibiie) February 16, 2020

The show's producers and host Harry Roselmack have defended their decision to dress the child in blackface, claiming they don't blur faces out and sometimes lighten the skin of other interviewees to hide their identity, Midi Libre reported.

“The choice of this makeup was made after tests, by experts, with the agreement of Nina and her parents. Without going into details that could help identify Nina, this choice was the most visually efficient. It has happened that we approved, in a similar context, the opposite makeup: lightening the skin of a Black woman to allow her to testify. The real substantive debate, the societal debate supported by the brave testimony of this teenager and her father has been left in the background,” Roselmack, who is Black, said in a statement.

“Over 7,000 teenagers are said to prostitute themselves in our country. Nina was one of them. Her story is terrifying. But what everyone is talking about is the way her makeup was done for her protection. The fact that the Black community can rise and respond publicly to what it considers disrespectful is a good thing. But we ought to make the right choices to fight the right battles,” Roselmack added.

Harry-Roselmack

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