Maria Conchita Alonso, a Grammy-nominated singer/actress, has pulled out of a Spanish production of The Vagina Monologues due to uproar over her role in a new political ad.
Alfonso appears alongside California gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly in the campaign video, translating for the Tea Party member and prompting backlash from Latino organizations who take issue with Donnelly's immigration views.
The politician founded a state chapter of the Minutemen, an armed vigilante border patrol group.
Due to threats of a boycott, Alonso told Fox News that she doesn't want to "hurt" the play by remaining part of it.
"It upsets me," she said, echoing Sarah Palin and adding: "The First Amendment - isn't it freedom of speech?"
It's not, of course. The First Amendment only protects citizens from being prosecuted for their views, not from others who counter them via words or actions.
But it's still an interesting and unusual development for an actress to forfeit a role due to political pressure.
Alonso was scheduled to appear next month at the Brava Theatre Centre in San Francisco. And producer Eliana Lopez confirms that the star left on poor terms.
"We really can't have her in the show, unfortunately," Lopez told KPIX 5. "Of course she has the right to say whatever she wants. But doing what she is doing is against what we believe."
"You are attacked for speaking out. People should speak out, but without insulting," Alonso said the Fox News. "They were calling the radio station in San Francisco attacking, attacking, attacking. They were going to boycott [the play]."
The 56-year old Cuban native has a long history of political activism.
She was raised in Cuba and often expressed her opinion of Hugo Chavez, who she has described as a "dictator like Hitler."
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