Actress Gouri G. Kishan on Monday dismissed YouTuber-journalist R.S. Karthik’s apology, calling it a ‘performative remorse’ that reduced the whole incident to a misunderstanding on her part.
“An apology without accountability isn’t an apology at all. Especially when it’s brushed off with ‘she misunderstood the question — it was just a fun one,’ or worse — ‘I didn’t body-shame anyone.’ Let me be clear. I won’t accept performative remorse or hollow words. Do better, RS Karthik,” wrote Gouri in response to RS Karthik’s apology video.
The controversy erupted after Karthik asked Gouri an ‘irrelevant’ question about her weight at a press conference in Chennai on 6 November. The actress said that such questions are never asked to male actors. She added that the question was meant to body shame her and was in no way related to her work in films.
After Gouri garnered support from Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and The South Indian Artistes’ Association (Nadigar Sangam), Karthik shared an apology video.
In a video message, the YouTuber claimed his question had been misunderstood and that he did not intend to hurt Gouri Kishan.
However, AMMA president Shwetha Menon said the apology offered by Karthik to Gouri for his alleged body-shaming remarks did not appear sincere.
Menon’s stance was backed by Gouri. The 26-year-old actress had previously issued a statement, urging her supporters not to target or harass Karthik.
In her note, Gouri said that the episode should instead serve as a reminder to encourage empathy and respect in public interactions. She added that she stood her ground because it was important “not only for herself but for anyone who has faced the same.”
She described the incident as part of a larger problem of normalising body shaming while perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards.
Several celebrities, including Chinmayi Sripaada, Aditya Madhavan, Pa Ranjith, and Richa Chadha, have come out in support of Gouri.
Gouri G. Kishan is known for her performances in 96 (2018), Margamkali (2019), Master (2021), and Sridevi Shoban Babu (2023).