Hollywood actor Sam Neill has weighed in alongside a host of others slamming Heather du Plessis-Allan's controversial comments about New Zealand's neighbours in the Pacific.
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The Newstalk ZB host was discussing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's visit to Nauru last week when she said the Pacific Islands "don't matter".
"They are nothing but leeches on us. The Pacific Islands wants money from us," she said during a Wellington broadcast of her show.
She also called Nauru a "hellhole" in the broadcast, which triggered a widespread outcry.
"How far can you take offensiveness and utter stupidity?" Neill tweeted of du Plessis-Allan's remarks.
The Jurassic Park star joins the likes of Michelle A'Court, Oscar Kightley and Tim Lambourne in denouncing the journalist's choice of words.
Samoan-born actor Kightley demanded an apology for "our Pasifika neighbours", while comedian A'Court wondered how du Plessis-Allan wore headphones over her "pith helmet".
TV presenter Lambourne said he'd known du Plessis-Allan since school and "found that she had matured nicely into a bigoted piece of shit", when he worked with her a few years ago.
Last week, du Plessis-Allan defended her comments, saying she had not "dehumanised" anyone, and was only referring to government bodies that run the Pacific islands.
"I will double down on this," she said on-air.
"I do not regret what I said, because I was not talking about people living in this country or the people themselves."
Some listeners have lodged formal complaints with Newstalk ZB, and petitions have called for du Plessis-Allan to step down from her hosting role.
Newshub.
