Why Emily Blunt Once Said She Regretted Becoming an American Citizen
There were many pros and cons for actor Emily Blunt when she officially became a US citizen. But there was one con about it that, the Edge of Tomorrow star quipped, made her regret her newfound American citizenship entirely. Her remark was met with some controversy, as it drew a powerful reaction from a segment of the nation.
Why did Emily Blunt become an American citizen?
One of the reasons Emily Blunt decided to become an American citizen was for tax reasons. But Blunt also explained that she became a citizen for her family as well.
“It’s simply because I live there, and have done for seven years. My husband is American, my daughter is American: I will continue to live there, and that’s where my life is. It felt better to embrace it, and it’s certainly a more protected position for me to be in,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.
At the same time, however, it was a thorough process requiring her to make sacrifices she didn’t want to make.
“I didn’t want to renounce my queen,” Blunt told The Sunday Times (via The Guardian.)
She went into a bit more detail about her thought process in renouncing her home country’s royalty while talking to Jimmy Kimmel.
“The thing that’s weird is I do get to keep both my British citizenship and this, but you have to renounce her,” Blunt said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “So, it’s kind of typically American – not to be rude – but I had to renounce her in the room but I don’t actually, technically renounce her. They were like, ‘Just say it. You don’t have to mean it, but just say it.’”
Blunt also had to take a U.S. Citizenship test, which came with its own degree of difficulty.
“It’s the hardest test I ever had to take,” Blunt said. “I guarantee most Americans would have no idea how to answer any of these questions.”
But later, Blunt would make a quip that she regretted becoming an American citizen. A statement that wouldn’t sit well with too many people.
Why Emily Blunt once said she regretted becoming an American citizen
Emily Blunt remarked that a Republican GOP debate made her second guess her decision to be a U.S. Citizen. At the time, the A Quiet Place actor shared her feelings on the matter talking to the Toronto Film Festival. When the topic of politics was touched upon, Blunt didn’t hold back.
“I became an American citizen recently, and that night, we watched the Republican debate and I thought, ‘This was a terrible mistake. What have I done?’” Blunt said according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The remark elicited a negative response from those who took offense to Blunt’s joke.
“Does Emily regret it enough to reimburse us our movie ticket costs that have helped make her rich???” one person wrote on Twitter.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard today, trashing a country you just became a citizen of & name changes,” another Twitter user commented.
Emily Blunt had to apologize for the joke
The backlash Blunt received for her comment prompted the Sicario star to apologize to anyone she might have hurt.
“It was so not the intention to hurt anybody or cause any offense, so I really apologize to those that I caused offense,” Blunt told Today. “It was just an offhand joke. I think I’ll probably leave the political jokes to late night or something.”
She later opened up a bit more about her feelings on the situation on the Howard Stern Show.
“I was bummed,” Blunt told Stern according to The Guardian. “I was sort of astonished by the outrage, because it was meant completely as an innocuous joke. So I think I was more taken aback, so it did bum me out.”
