Actress Rosanna Arquette said Thursday the FBI advised her to make her Twitter account private after online critics lambasted her on Wednesday for tweeting that she was ashamed of being “white and privileged.”

Arquette, in an exclusive response to TheWrap, expanded on her comments and explained why she is now hiding tweets from anyone that is not among her 90,000 followers. “Yes I’m locked to protect myself I was told by FBI to lock it up,” she said, declining to expand to requests for more detail on the FBI’s role in her decision.

Several reps for the FBI did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. A Twitter rep did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on if any users had been punished for comments directed at Arquette.

In her statement to TheWrap, Arquette detailed the “threatening and cruel” online response to her Wednesday tweet. “There are toxic and very vicious people on social media. Threatening and cruel,” Arquette said. “I said yesterday the I am ashamed of the color of my skin. I am privileged just because I’m white. I feel shame. Because of all the violence that is happening in America and other racist countries.”

Also Read: Rosanna Arquette Takes Twitter Account Private After Confessing ‘Shame’ for Being ‘Born White and Privileged’

The “Pulp Fiction” actress, the oldest of a family of actors that also includes “Boyhood” star Patricia Arquette and “Scream” actor David Arquette, added, “I was not raised to be racist. In fact my mother took me to Harlem to integrate and all black nursery school when I was 4. I feel truly desolate at the bigotry. and severe racism that we are witnessing in 2019.”

Rosanna Arquette, who was one of the first prominent individuals to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, pointed to the disgraced mogul and a sinister “Boy’s Club” that she said she needed to be protected from. The FBI, Arquette said, compelled her to take her account private.

“On top of being one of the women who came out about [Harvey] Weinstein. The Boy’s Club is bigger than it ever [has been], so the attacks are really actually dangerous right now.  But that’s what they want to put me in a state of fear. And I say no. I will not be afraid so I will protect myself and I do have people around me who are ready to protect me if someone goes after me. Don’t f— with me is where I’m at.”

Also Read: Jeffrey Epstein Back in NYC Jail Cell Following Injuries

In her statement, she also referenced disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges (he has pleaded not guilty). “We are witnessing the light being shed in the darkest parts of a hidden sick society [–] the selling of children for sex. Epstein is just the beginning. These sick f—- are going down.”

On Wednesday, the “Pulp Fiction” and “Crash” actress tweeted she was “sorry I was born white and privileged. It disgusts me. And I feel so much shame.”

That tweet provoked a severe response from Twitter users, many of whom sardonically suggested Arquette give away her money to atone for her privilege. Others said it was a textbook case of self-hatred and Hollywood “wokeness” run amok.

“What a patronizing, self-important person,” one user said, replying to Arquette’s tweet. “Supposedly carrying so much shame [and] guilt that no one should think of her as an overall well-off person. Well, give it all to charity if you’re so guilt-ridden?”

Arquette has been a vocal critic of President Trump and his administration on Twitter, saying on Thursday he “incites racist violence. The end.” She also tweeted earlier this week that she planned to “never stand for the flag again.”

Power Women Summit 2018 Portraits, From Barbara Boxer to Zoe Saldana (Photos)


  • Power Women Summit Split

  • Mira Sorvino, Power Women Summit

    Actress Mira Sorvino

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Zoe Saldana, Power Women Summit

    Actress Zoe Saldana 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Zoe Saldana, Power Women Summit

    Zoe Saldana 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Zoe Saldana and Dolores Huerta, Power Women Summit

    Actress Zoe Saldana and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Dolores Huerta, Power Women Summit

    Dolores Huerta

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Anita Hill, Power Women Summit

    Law professor Anita Hill

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Anita Hill and Frieda Lee Mock, Power Women Summit

    Law professor Anita Hill and filmmaker Freida Lee Mock 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • MeToo Survivors, Power Women Summit

    Women of #MeToo: Jessica Barth, Larissa Gomes, Dawn Dunning, Chantal Cousineau, Sarah Anne Masse, Melissa Schuman, Rosanna Arquette, Melissa Sagemiller, Louise Godbold,
    Louisette Geiss; (seated) Molly Maeve, Katherine Kendall, Kathryn Rossetter and Anna Graham Hunter 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • The Kaplan Twins, Power Women Summit

    Artists Allie and Lexi Kaplan 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • The Kaplan Twins, Power Women Summit

    The Kaplan Twins 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Adrienne Kebbel, Power Women Summit

    Actress Arielle Kebbel 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Arielle Kebbel, Power Women Summit

    Arielle Kebbel 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • David Oyelowo, Power Women Summit

    Actor David Oyelowo 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Rosanna Arquette, Power Women Summit

    Actress and activist Rosanna Arquette 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Stephanie Shepard, Power Women Summit

    Former Kardashian assistant Stephanie Shepherd 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Alysia Reiner, Power Women Summit

    Actress Alysia Reiner 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Ariel Wengroff, Power Women Summit

    Vice Media executive Ariel Wengroff 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Beatriz Acevedo, Power Women Summit

    Mitú co-founder Beatriz Acevedo 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Betsy West and Julie Cohen, Power Women Summit

    Betsy West and Julie Cohen, co-directors of the documentary “RBG” 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Bria Smith, Power Women Summit

    March for Our Lives activist Bria Smith 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Cari Champion, Power Women Summit

    ESPN reporter Cari Champion 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Christine Simmons, Power Women Summit

    Christine Simmons, president of the Los Angeles Sparks

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Christine Simmons, Power Women Summit

    Christine Simmons, president of the Los Angeles Sparks

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Cindy Leive, Power Women Summit

    Former Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Trace Lysette, Power Women Summit

    Actress Trace Lysette 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Haim, Power Women Summit

    Este, Danielle and Alana Haim, HAIM 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Haim, Power Women Summit

    Este, Danielle and Alana Haim, HAIM 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Ibtihaj Muhammad, Power Women Summit

    Olympic gold medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Ibtihaj Muhammad and Christine Simmons, Power Women Summit

    U.S. sabre fencer and Olympic gold medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and Los Angeles Sparks President Christine Simmons 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Melanie Liburd, Power Women Summit

    Actress Melanie Liburd 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Melanie Liburd, Power Women Summit

    Acrress Melanie Liburd 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Melanie Liburd, Power Women Summit

    Actress Melanie Liburd 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Ileana Douglass, Power Women Summit

    Actress Illeana Douglas 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Jaclyn Corin and Bria Smith, Power Women Summit

    Gun violence activists Jaclyn Corin and Bria Smith 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Jaclyn Corin, Power Women Summit

    Anti-gun activist Jaclyn Corin

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Jaclyn Corin and Bria Smith, Power Women Summit

    Gun violence activists Jaclyn Corin and Bria Smith 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Jessica Sanders and Freida Lee Mock, Power Women Summit

    Producer Jessica Sanders and filmmaker Freida Lee Mock 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Jill Soloway, Power Women Summit

    “Transparent” creator Jill Soloway 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Joanne Lipman, Power Women Summit

    Journalist and former USA Today editor-in-chief Joanne Lipman 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Kimberly Steward, Power Women Summit

    Film producer Kimberly Steward 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Cassian Elwes, Power Women Summit

    Film producer Cassian Elwes 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Nancy Dubuc, Power Women Summit

    Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Barbara Boxer, Power Women Summit

    Former U.S. senator Barbara Boxer 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Nicole Boxer and Barbara Boxer, Power Women Summit

    Filmmaker Nicole Boxer and former U.S. senator Barbara Boxer 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Nicole Boxer, Power Women Summit

    Filmmaker Nicole Boxer 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Nicole Brown, Power Women Summit

    TriStar Pictures EVP Nicole Brown 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Niija Kuykendall, Power Women Summit

    Producer and Warner Bros. SVP Niija Kuykendall 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Pamela Green, Power Women Summit

    Director-producer Pamela B. Green 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Rebecca Sugar, Power Women Summit

    “Steven Universe” creator Rebecca Sugar 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Chris Andrews, Power Women Summit

    CAA agent Chris Andrews 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Sarah Ann Masse and Louisette Geiss, Power Women Summit

    Actresses and Harvey Weinstein accusers Sarah Ann Masse and Louisette Geiss 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Scott Budnick, Power Women Summit

    Film producer Scott Budnick 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Stephanie Allain, Power Women Summit

    Film producer Stephanie Allain 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Sue Obeidi, Power Women Summit

    Sue Obeidi, Muslim Public Affairs Council 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Tanya Lopez, Power Women Summit

    Lifetime EVP Tanya Lopez 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Tarana Burke, Power Women Summit

    #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Tina Tchen, Power Women Summit

    Lawyer and Times Up Legal Defense Fund head Tina Tchen 

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Meghan Quinn, Artist and Photographer

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Jessica Sanders, Power Women Summit

    Jessica Sanders, Director, Writer, and Producer

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Crystal Patterson, Power Women Summit

    Crystal Patterson, Global Civic Partnerships Manager Facebook

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap


  • Lela Lee and Pauline Sanders, Power Women Summit

     Lela Lee, Creator of “Angry Little Asian Girl” and Attendee Pauline Sanders, “Power Women Summit”

    Photographed by Elisabeth Caren for TheWrap



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Mira Sorvino, Anita Hill, HAIM, David Oyelowo, Rosanna Arquette, Nancy Dubuc, Jill Soloway and more participated in TheWrap’s inaugural event

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