'We all make mistakes, own up to them, take responsibility. and then hold your head up and move forward,' Bassett told ET.
Angela Bassett is proud of her son following his public apology for participating in a viral death hoax trend on TikTok last week.
"We all make mistakes, own up to them, take responsibility. and then hold your head up and move forward," Bassett told ET's Denny Directo at the Palm Springs International Film Festival's Creative Impact Awards.
Slater, Bassett's 16-year-old son whom she shares with Courtney B. Vance, had filmed himself telling his parents the false news that Bassett's Black Panther co-star, Michael B. Jordan, had died. The video was part of a larger trend of children telling family members that prominent celebrities had falsely died. Slater took down his own video, and later posted a tearful apology to his TikTok.
Bassett told ET the mistake was a "teachable lesson" for Slater. In his apology, Slater apologized for taking part in such a "harmful trend."
"I apologize to Michael B. Jordan's entire family, extended family, and him directly as he is an idol of mine. Taking part in a trend like this is completely disrespectful," he said. "I don't wish any bad ramifications of this on his family nor my parents as they deserve none of the backlash. I know this was a mistake."
Bassett and Jordan both starred in last year's long-awaited Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, and Bassett scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. She told ET she's looking forward to honoring her colleagues while at the awards ceremony next week.
"They're honoring Ryan Murphy, I have a long history with him," she said. "Honoring Black Panther with song, Best Song with Rihanna, I'm looking forward to that."
As far as the PSIFF appearance this week, Bassett added she was honored to receive a Creative Impact Award, noting her 1993 performance in What's Love Got to Do With It that put her on the map as an actress.
"Finally I thought, 'OK, I'm doing something,'" she said of the film's success. "When [my] face and [my] name, they sort of came together." Bassett earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance, and is now hoping to return to the prestigious awards for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
"That would be monumental," she said of a potential Oscar nom. "Very humbling."
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