People magazine deletes, apologizes for 'stupid & insensitive' tweet about Viola Davis

Actress Viola Davis played a maid in the film “The Help,” and during “How to Get Away with Murder,” her new show on ABC, People magazine published this tweet:

viola will always be a maid to some people, and that's extremely unfortunate. @peoplemag pic.twitter.com/6rC12e19Sc

— tracy jumps to put jeans on (@brokeymcpoverty) September 26, 2014

After some heavy criticism, People deleted and apologized for the tweet:

Apologies for the earlier tweet. We love HTGAWM & The Help, where that quote was from. But it was stupid & insensitive. Won't happen again.

— People (@people) September 26, 2014

Reaction to that apology? Mixed:

@peoplemag and what about an apology for @violadavis. She was the object of your classless, humorless statement

— Shelley Winters (@SMW220) September 26, 2014

https://twitter.com/Snowballx/status/515364901989408769
https://twitter.com/leahtakele/status/515368026653212673

@peoplemag pic.twitter.com/nDDGuWoCLU

— Ella Septima-Hamer (@Jbrous14) September 26, 2014

https://twitter.com/IKennyR/status/515366795600199681

Ay @peoplemag… Y'all need some sensitivity training or something. Maybe y'all shouldn't have beefed w/ your only blk editor. Do better..

— Ama Jane (@The_Black_Jane) September 26, 2014

https://twitter.com/Snowballx/status/515374081613365248
https://twitter.com/__Stellaaaar/status/515438375818772480

Last night, People also deleted a tweet about actress Kerry Washington during the show “Scandal.”