Mindy Kaling Says 'I Don't Care' About 'Velma' Fan Backlash
By Kristin Myers on May 21, 2022 at 10:30 AM EDT
Actress Mindy Kaling is not backing down when it comes to her new "Scooby-Doo" series to hit HBO, titled "Velma."
The new animated series focuses on Velma, who is frequently pictured with her short brown hair, glasses, and orange turtleneck sweater. However, in Kaling's version of the show, Velma is South Asian. The response has been met with criticism online, but Kaling simply brushed off the criticism during a Warner Bros Discovery Upfront presentation on Wednesday morning.
Mindy Kaling Gives Fans A First Look At 'Scooby-Doo' Series 'Velma'
First look at the adult animated series "VELMA," which reimagines the beloved Scooby-Doo character, presented onstage at the #WBDUpfront by creator Mindy Kaling
📷: @Beet_TV pic.twitter.com/g9itGMyilx
— Animation on HBO Max (@AnimationOnMax) May 18, 2022
As reported by Deadline, Kaling was seen at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront Presentation on Wednesday promoting “Velma” on HBO Max. Kaling told the crowd that if a dog can solve crimes, then Velma “can be brown.”
“Hopefully you noticed my Velma is South Asian,” she told her New York City audience. “If people freak out about that, I don’t care.”
"You’ve hopefully noticed by now, my Velma is South Asian. And if people freak out about that, I don't care!" - @mindykaling #WBDUpfront 📸 | Getty pic.twitter.com/qEejB2UDn9
— Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Sales (@WBDAdSales) May 18, 2022
Kaling will also be serving as executive producer on the new series, which was ordered by HBO Max last year. “Velma” will explore Velma Dinkley’s origin story and feature the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang. Charlie Grandy, Howard Klein, and Sam Register are also signed onto the project as executive producers.
From creator of the hit series ‘Sex Lives of College Girls’, @mindykaling gives us a glimpse into her new @hbomax series ‘Velma’, centered around a reimagined version of the beloved Scooby-Doo character 🔎 #WBDUpfront
— Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Sales (@WBDAdSales) May 18, 2022
Mindy Says That She Will 'Be Careful' With 'Velma' Due To Fan Backlash
A small reminder that Velma is a Latinx character in 2020's SCOOB! and in Scholastic's DAPHNE AND VELMA books. VELMA's not the first time her ethnic background will have been changed and the world is still spinning. I think it's a brave choice. Show us what you got, @mindykaling. pic.twitter.com/TD7tDFWINL
— ScoobyDoocast (@ScoobyDoocast) May 18, 2022
After the new show was announced, Twitter exploded with backlash for Velma’s change in skin color. As the outlet reported, Kaling addressed the criticism when she appeared on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” in July 2021.
“When it was announced that I was going to do the voice of Velma, people were very supportive and happy on Twitter and so I felt great,” she recalled. “Then it was announced a month ago that the Velma character would be reimagined as South Asian. And people were not happy. There was a lot of, like, ‘So not Velma!’ Those kind of tweets. ‘Not the classic Velma that I’m always thinking about.'”
She said that the backlash forced her to “be careful” when presenting her own take on the fan-favorite character. However, one fan noted that this is not the first time that Velma's ethnicity seems to have changed in the animated series.
One "Scooby-Doo" fan tweeted, "A small reminder that Velma is a Latinx character in 2020's SCOOB! and in Scholastic's DAPHNE AND VELMA books. VELMA's not the first time her ethnic background will have been changed and the world is still spinning. I think it's a brave choice. Show us what you got, @mindykaling."
