Laverne Cox pulled out of a sex industry documentary after receiving backlash from sex workers
- Laverne Cox announced she is pulling out of "Sell, Buy, Date," a documentary about the sex work industry, after receiving backlash on social media from sex workers.
- Sex workers on Twitter said the documentary did not consult sex workers and instead spoke over the community.
- Cox, who was set to executive produce the film, said she is stepping down from the project to prioritize her health.
Actress and activist Laverne Cox has announced she's pulling out of a sex industry documentary after receiving backlash on social media.
"Sell/Buy/Date," based on a play of the same name by Sarah Jones, takes a deep dive into the sex industry by looking at "inequality (criminal justice, race, sexism, poverty) through the lens of the debate around the sex industry," according to a press release.
Cox signed on as an executive producer along with other A-listers like Meryl Steep and Rashida Jones.
However, after the project was announced on January 5, Cox received backlash from several sex workers on Twitter who said the project did not consult them and instead spoke over the sex work community.
"Just what the world needs. Another movie where non SWers debate whether sex work is exploitative or empowering. @Lavernecox this project is everything you're supposedly against. Stop trying to tell sw stories by ignoring and doxxing them," one Twitter user wrote.
Others questioned why Cox would work with Rashida Jones for a documentary about sex workers, who has previously been criticized for outing sex workers in her Netflix documentary series "Hot Girls Wanted."
Cox released a statement on Twitter announcing her withdrawal from the project.
"When I agreed to come on as an executive producer of 'Sell, Buy, Date' I did so because I was so deeply moved by Sarah Jones' brilliant play and her unbelievable, undeniable talent as an artist, as an actor," Cox wrote. "I am not in an emotional place to deal with the outrage by some around my participation in this project so I have decided to pull out."
"I have to take care of my mental, physical and emotional health," Cox wrote.
In the comments of her statement, some Twitter users thanked her for pulling out of the project and asked her to openly support the decriminalization of sex workers.
Cox responded to many of the comments with a 2014 clip of her speaking out in support of trans women of color who engage in sex work.
"When we talk about trans women, specifically trans women of color's experiences, I think we have to talk about sex work because it's the reality for far too many of us and we have to talk about decriminalizing it," Cox said in the clip.
Sarah Jones posted in support of Cox on Twitter, thanking her for her help with the project and asking people to "give Laverne her space while keeping an open mind about the project before judging it."