Robin Williams' co-star in "Moscow on the Hudson" Maria Conchita Alonso was recently removed from the San Francisco "The Vagina Monologues" because she participated in an ad for assemblyman Tim Donnelly released earlier this week, according to CBS News.
The entertainer was set to be a part of a Spanish-language production of "The Vagina Monologues" playing in San Francisco during the month of February until Donnelly released a campaign ad featuring Alonso bringing a wave of criticism and bad press for Alonso, CBS News reported.
The criticism stems from Alonso showing support for Donnelly, who has expressed strong opposition against loosening immigration policies and was previously involved with the Minutemen Project which patrol the Mexican border and round up Mexicans trying to cross, according to CBS.
In the ad, Alonso is seen next to Donnelly, the San Bernardino County assemblymen as he says: "Politicians and big government are killing our prosperity, pushing welfare costs through the roof and driving our schools into the ground."
Alonso, a Cuban-born Venezuelan, then translates in Spanish the words "We're screwed," in an ad which was supposed to be humorous to the Latino population, but failed.
According to Alonso, she decided to resign from the play so her fellow cast members and the production would not suffer from the bad press she was receiving, according to CBS News. Spanish radio stations said they would interfere with the play if Alonso continued to be a part of it.
"They were very concerned, and I said, 'you know the other actors don't have to go through this. They don't deserve this. It's on me only,'" Alonso told a local CBS affiliate television station.
The Spanish version of the show is being produced by Eliana Lopez, wife of the San Francisco Sheriff and Green Party co-founder Ross Mirkarimi, according to CBS.
During an interview about the show, Lopez told KPIX 5 "we really cannot have her in the show," due to her expressed opinions and backing of the assemblymen, according to CBS News.
"Of course she has the right to say whatever she wants. But we're in the middle of the Mission. Doing what she is doing is against what we believe," Lopez told KPIX 5.
Alonso believes she is being criticized for merely expressing her opinion and the recent set of events leading to her removal from the show has sparked a debate about freedom of speech, CBS News reported.
"When I came here people used to respect each other, Democrats, and Republicans, but nowadays, you're attacked for speaking out. People should speak out," Alonso said during an interview with Fox News, CBS reported.
The actress added that she has been called "horrible names" and that even her pet chihuahua has been attacked as a stereotype, according to CBS News.
"The dog was attacked because they said it represents Mexicans because she's a chihuahua," Alonso said, adding that "it is sad, but it's no big deal," CBS News reported.
