English actor Orlando Bloom said Mayor Kevin Faulconer left a Comic-Con exhibit that featured immigrant characters, but a statement issued Saturday by the mayor’s office gave a different version of events.
Bloom made the comment about the mayor during Friday’s panel for the new series from Amazon called “Carnival Row.”
According to Variety, Bloom told the audience that Faulconer stopped by the Prime Video activation and chose the Carnival Row section to enter.
In the installation, fans are asked if they want to be a human or a creature. According to Bloom, the mayor chose creature, and was then given an identity card. Since all creatures are immigrants in Carnival Row, his card explained that he was “a mythological scrappy immigrant trying to make it in an oppressive new land.”
Bloom claimed that the mayor said something to the effect of, “Oh no, I can’t have anything to do with immigration” and left the activation.
In response to Bloom’s claims, a spokeswoman for Faulconer’s office issued the following statement:
“The mayor enjoyed visiting several studio installations set up throughout San Diego this week, and unfortunately there was a slight wait there and he had to move along. We’re excited Amazon is showcasing its new shows in San Diego this week. Mayor Faulconer and his administration actively work with nonprofits and local agencies to provide shelter to migrant families, and has a long record of advocating for comprehensive immigration reform.”
The penultimate day of Comic-Con 2019 included appearances by actors Kristen Bell, George Takei and Aaron Paul as well as filmmakers Guillermo Del Toro and Kevin Smith.
–City News Service