How to Get Away With Murder actress Viola Davis became the first black woman to win the Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series during Sunday’s ceremony. Her emotional acceptance speech, in which she declared that “the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity,” was widely considered one of the evening’s highlights.
Count General Hospital actress Nancy Lee Grahn among the few who weren’t moved. “I wish I loved #ViolaDavis Speech, but I thought she should have let @shondarhimes write it,” Grahn tweeted. Later, she wrote, “I think she’s the bees knees but she’s elite of TV performers. Brilliant as she is. She has never been discriminated against.” In response to another user, Grahn also said she wished Davis had “brought every woman in the picture” instead of focusing on women of color.
Those comments were quickly met with sharp criticism, prompting Grahn to issue several apologies from her Twitter account. Here’s one of them:
“I apologize for my earlier tweets and now realize I need to check my own privilege. My intention was not to take this historic and important moment from Viola Davis or other women of color but I realize that my intention doesn’t matter here because that is what I ended up doing. I learned a lot tonight and I admit that there are still some things I don’t understand but I am trying to and will let this be a learning experience for me.”
Grant stayed up responding and apologizing to Twitter users throughout the evening “as penance,” but she made it clear that her apology didn’t get the reaction she was hoping for.
“3am. Tried 2 respond 2 u with love as I should, Gotten mostly condescension & vitriol. Tomorrow, new day. Wont begin it with anything but love…
30 yrs an advocate 4 human rights & now i’m a racist. Color me heartbroken. Twitter can bring out the best & sadly tonight the worst of us.”
Taraji P. Henson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesSofÌa Vergara at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Dan Steinberg—Invision/Television AcadAriel Winter and Laurent Claude Gaudette at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Charles Sykes—InvisionCarice van Houten at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Danny Moloshok—Invision/Television AcadNikolaj Coster-Waldau at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APGwendoline Christie at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesSophie Turner at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison—Getty ImagesMaisie Williams at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison—Getty ImagesElisabeth Moss at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesJessica Pare attends the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty ImagesJanuary Jones at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesKiernan Shipka at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesChristina Hendricks at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesUzo Aduba at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APDanielle Brooks at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APLaverne Cox at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesSamira Wiley at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APLaura Prepon at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mark Ralston—AFP/Getty ImagesDascha Polanco at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Larry Busacca—Getty ImagesTaryn Manning at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesAndy Samberg at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison—Getty ImagesHeidi Klum at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APCharissa Thompson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Danny Moloshok—Invision/APNancy O’Dell at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Alberto E. Rodriguez—Getty ImagesGiuliana Rancic at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Alberto E. Rodriguez—Getty ImagesTeyonah Parris at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison—Getty ImagesTatiana Maslany at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APKeltie Knight at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Danny Moloshok—Invision/APLouise Roe arrives at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20, 2015, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.Danny Moloshok—Invision/APSarah Paulson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mark Davis—Getty Images Jessica Lange at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mario Anzuoni—ReutersEmma Roberts at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Steve Granitz—WireImageLady Gaga at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Steve Granitz—WireImageJamie Lee Curtis at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APAllison Janney at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Dan Steinberg—Invision/APLily Tomlin at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Alberto E. Rodriguez—Getty ImagesAubrey Plaza at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APAmy Poehler at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mario Anzuoni—ReutersJulia Louis-Dreyfus at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesTony Hale at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesJane Krakowski at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison—Getty ImagesAmy Schumer at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Charles Sykes—Invision/APNazanin Boniadi at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Dan Steinberg—Invision/APPadma Lakshmi at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mark Davis—Getty ImagesFred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APRenee Bargh at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APChristine Marzano at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesKat Deeley at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mario Anzuoni—ReutersLiz Hernandez at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci/Invision/APDavid Foster at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 19, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Dan Steinberg—Invision/APNatasha Lyonne at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesLauren Lapkus at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Paul Buck—EPADavid Benioff and Amanda Peet at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APPaul Dano and Zoe Kazan at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APKim Dickens at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Charles Sykes—InvisionKate McKinnon at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Danny Moloshok—Invision/Television AcadNathan Anderson and Anthony Anderson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Danny Moloshok—Invision/Television AcadTracee Ellis at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty ImagesMaggie Gyllenhaal at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesFelicity Huffman at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/Television AcadRegina King at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Vince Bucci—Invision/APDebbie Matenopoulos at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP Ellie Kemper at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Mark Davis—Getty ImagesMorena Baccarin at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles.
Frazer Harrison—Getty Images