Was Zach Braff’s Pharrell Williams tweet racist?

ZACH Braff has apologised after he tweeted a side-by-side pic of Pharrell Williams at the Grammys and a winged monkey. But was he being racist?

Grammys performance ... Pharrell Williams performs Happy in a bellboy outfit. Picture: Getty

ZACH Braff has apologised after he tweeted a side-by-side pic of Pharrell Williams at the Grammys and a winged monkey. But was he being racist?

The former Scrubs star sent the tweet out on Sunday after comparing Pharrell’s bellboy outfit to the flying monkey Finley that he provided the voice of in the 2013 film Oz The Great and Powerful.

“Grammys are time-delayed in LA (?!) but someone just sent me this: #IWoreItBetter,” he tweeted, referring to the similar outfits.

Side-by-side ... Zach Braff’s tweet in which he compares Pharrell Williams’ Grammys outfit to the one worn by his character in Oz The Great and Powerful, saying #IWoreItBetter. Picture: Twitter

Perhaps it was Braff’s best friend, fellow Scrubs star Donald Faison, who is African American and who was watching the Grammys with Braff, who advised him to take down his tweet.

Watching Grammys with bae. @donald_faison pic.twitter.com/kqLbBLVthQ

— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) February 9, 2015

It wasn’t long before some on social media called Braff out on not realising that comparing African Americans to monkeys could be construed as an offensive racial slur.

Braff was quick to issue an apology.

I love Pharrell. I thought the outfit he wore was similar to that of my bell hop outfit in Oz. I apologize.

— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) February 9, 2015

Pharrell’s Grammys performance sparked a big reaction on social media in the US as it included dancers in black hoodies who struck a ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ pose — a reference to the slogan used by protesters after the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a police officer.

Oops ... Finley the monkey was voiced by Zach Braff. Picture: Disney.

Similar outfit ... Pharrell Williams at the Grammys. Picture: Grammys.

Prince also commented on the simmering debate in the US after a number of incidents where black men have been shot and killed by white Americans as he presented the award for best album.

“Albums ... remember those? Albums still matter. Like books and black lives, albums still matter,” he said.

Apology ... Zach Braff has said sorry for his tweet. Picture: Supplied.

However many were quick to give Zach Braff a leave pass for his allegedly ‘racist’ comment on Pharrell’s outfit.

So let me get this straight the officer that shot #MikeBrown never apologized BUT @zachbraff had to? Yeah...cause what HE did was 'racist'

— Tehran SoParvaz (@IAmTehran) February 10, 2015

The media is crying racist at Zach Braff, but the funniest thing about this is. FINLEY IS VOICED BY ZACH BRAFF.

— L i q u i d K i d (@JelliThePanda) February 10, 2015

@Salon @zachbraff that's because it's about the outfit. People seek out ways to get offended and be outraged. He wasn't being racist.

— Melissa (@stellina429) February 9, 2015

@zachbraff yes obviously you are very racist given that @donald_faison is your best friend. #cmon

— C.D (@Spittin_Venom) February 9, 2015