Friends: Creator Marta Kauffman Donates USD 4M Due to Guilt Over Lack of Diversity in the Show

Friends creator Marta Kauffman has recently revealed to LA Times that she was so embarrassed and guilty about the lack of diversity on her classic NBC sitcom that she is donating USD 4 million to help Marta F. Kauffman 78 Chair in African and African American Studies at Brandeis University. Friends Co-Creator Marta Kauffman Is Upset About Show's Lack of Diversity, Says 'I'm Embarrassed'.

Kauffman said it was originally difficult and frustrating to have the show criticized for its lack of diverse characters, but she became critical herself after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, as per Variety.

"It was after what happened to George Floyd that I began to wrestle with my having bought into systemic racism in ways I was never aware of. That was really the moment that I began to examine the ways I had participated. I knew then I needed to course-correct," Kauffman said.

All of the six main characters on Friends were white, and the show rarely featured black actors in prominent roles throughout 10 seasons and 236 episodes. Lauren Tom, Gabrielle Union, Mark Consuelos, and Craig Robinson appeared in small supporting roles on the show, while Aisha Tyler, the show's most prominent black actress, starred in only nine episodes. Tyler played a paleontology professor who dated both Joey and Ross.

According to the LA Times, Kauffman's USD 4 million for the African and African American studies program will support a distinguished scholar with a concentration in the study of the peoples and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora. The gift will also assist the department to recruit more expert scholars and teachers, map long-term academic and research priorities and provide new opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship.

"I've learned a lot in the last 20 years. Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It's painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know better 25 years ago," Kauffman said. Mumbai Police Get ‘Friends’ Into the Scene; Shares Clip From the Famous American Sitcom To Raise Awareness Against Stalking!

She mentioned on getting nothing but love since making the announcement, adding, "It's been amazing. It surprised me to some extent, because I didn't expect the news to go this wide. I've gotten a flood of emails and texts and posts that have been nothing but supportive. I've gotten a lot of It's about time. Not in a mean way. It's just people acknowledging it was long overdue."