American actress Skai Jackson has publicly apologized to Kenyans after facing widespread criticism over comments she made about her 2018 visit to the country.
The former Disney Channel star shared a video on her Instagram account on Monday, July 20, addressing the controversy and insisting she never intended to disrespect Kenya or its people.
Her apology comes days after a clip from an interview resurfaced online, prompting thousands of Kenyans to accuse her of spreading harmful stereotypes about the country.
In the interview, Jackson recalled visiting a rural village in Kenya and claimed that children there had told her they had never seen themselves in a mirror because mirrors were too expensive. The remarks quickly went viral, with many social media users arguing that she had generalized the experience of one community to represent the entire country.
In her Instagram video, Jackson repeatedly apologized for how her comments were received, stressing that she had been referring to one specific village she visited during a humanitarian trip in 2018.
“I just wanted to apologize for my conversation when I was talking about my trip to Kenya. I did not mean any disrespect by it.”
The actress explained that she visited what she described as “a very tiny village” alongside a group that included fellow actress Jenna Ortega.
According to Jackson, teachers and children at that particular village shared stories about their lives during conversations with the visiting group.
“The children did tell me that, and the teachers did tell me that. It wasn’t just me on that trip. They were talking to me and everybody else.”
Jackson said she had no intention of suggesting that her experience reflected the reality of the entire country or the African continent.
“I didn’t mean everyone in Africa. I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful.”
While addressing the controversy, Jackson also showed old photographs from her 2018 visit to Kenya.
She explained that most of her pictures were stored on an old phone and that she had posted many of them on a previous Snapchat account.
The actress pointed out one image showing herself with Jenna Ortega during a visit to an all-girls school.
Jackson said she could not locate photos from the specific village she referenced in the interview but maintained that the conversations she described did take place.
Throughout the video, Jackson emphasized that she genuinely enjoyed her time in Kenya and never intended to mock the country.
“I really, really enjoyed my time in Kenya, like genuinely.”
She also pushed back against claims that she had exaggerated the story for entertainment.
“I saw some people in the comments saying I was only trying to be funny, and I actually was not.”
Jackson maintained that she was simply recounting what she had been told during the visit but acknowledged that she should have provided more context.
She ended the video by asking Kenyans for forgiveness.
“I just wanted to apologize. I hope you guys forgive me.”
“I would never be disrespectful or want to say anything that’s crazy because I’m not that type of person.”
The backlash began after an interview clip circulated widely on social media.
In the video, Jackson suggested that mirrors were considered a luxury in Kenya and claimed children at a village school saw their reflections for the first time using her phone.
The remarks sparked outrage among Kenyan social media users, who accused the actress of reinforcing outdated stereotypes about Africa and promoting a “saviour” narrative.
The discussion quickly spread across X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, with many users calling on Jackson to clarify her remarks.
