Julianne Hough shocks with blackface Halloween costume

Hey everybody, quick quiz!

It’s okay to dress up in blackface … ?*

a.) Never

b.) Never

c.) Never

d.) All of the above

Sadly, this is a difficult question for some. The latest celebrity to guess incorrectly is former Dancing With the Stars pro Julianne Hough, who was photographed at a Halloween party in dark makeup and a prison jumpsuit, impersonating the character “Crazy Eyes” from the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

Here is the photo of Hough in costume and makeup. Reaction on Twitter was swift and unforgiving. While the outrage, shock, and vitriol has built, there have so far been no remarks, explanations, or apologies from Hough. Her publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UPDATE: Hough took to her own twitter account to say this: “I am a huge fan of the show Orange is the New black, actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created. It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize.”

Crazy Eyes (portrayed by Aduba) developed a possessive crush on the show’s main character, Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), an uptight, middle-class woman who finds herself imprisoned for transporting drug money years earlier when she was in college. Crazy Eyes, whose real name is Suzanne, got her nickname from her wide-eyed intensity, and her fiery personality quickly made her a fan-favorite.

Aduba’s rep also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s doubtful that Hough, 25, set out to deliberately offend, but although this was most likely intended as an affectionate tribute to the Crazy Eyes character it’s a pretty serious case of poor judgment to put on black makeup, ignoring a very long and ugly history of such behavior from white entertainers.

Hough may be fleet of foot as a dancer, but there’s no doubt she really stepped in it this time.

One last thing: It’s not even a very good costume, since Crazy Eyes tended to wear a khaki jail suit — not an orange one.

(* Answer: d!)