AN INDIAN actress has been accused of racism after she shared comments referring to a Nigerian football player as a “gorilla”.
Esha Gupta posted a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation last Friday (25), in which she and an unnamed friend spoke about Arsenal defender Alex Iwobi.
Criticising his playing skills, one of the messages read: “Solves our winger issues. I can't see that gorilla faced Iwobi running down the flank again. He's so bad ya.”
Another said Iwobi had not “changed from Neanderthal to man.”
However, after users slammed the post, Gupta quickly removed it from her social media.
The Bollywood star, who is a well-known Arsenal fan, has since issued an apology and insisted there was no racial intention behind it.
Gupta wrote: 'Guys I'm sorry you thought it was racist. Was bad on my part, being a sports lover…gotta own up to my s***... sorry. It was us discussing our frustration during the game. Sorry as I didn't realise it was directed towards racism.”
Iwobi has yet to comment on Gupta’s remarks.
Anti-Racism protesters come out in support of refugees outside the Cladhan Hotel on September 13, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)