Jamie Oliver has pulled his new children’s book from sale in response to claims it stereotypes indigenous Australian people.
The celebrity chef, known for his best-selling cookbooks, popular restaurants and long-running television shows, took the lead in the growing controversy surrounding the recently released “Billy and the Epic Escape.”
The fantasy novel, published in May, features an Aboriginal girl with mystical powers who is living in foster care when she is kidnapped from her home in central Australia, according to the BBC.
Indigenous community leaders criticized the book as “culturally insensitive and harmful” and said “Billy and the Epic Escape” reinforced “harmful stereotypes.” The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC) told NBC News that it “dangerously trivializes the ongoing trauma associated with Australia’s violent history of child removal.”
Oliver, originally from the United Kingdom, said he was “devastated” and apologized “wholeheartedly” in a statement shared with the media: “It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue. Together with my editors we have decided to withdraw the book from sale,” he continued.
The “Naked Chef” star, 49, was in Australia promoting another literary project when the controversy arose.
The book’s publisher took responsibility for the error, telling the BBC that Oliver’s requested consultation with Indigenous Australians never occurred due to an alleged “editorial oversight.”
“Our mission at Penguin Random House UK is to make books for everyone and with that commitment comes a deep sense of responsibility,” the company said in a statement. “It is clear that our editorial standards were not sufficient on this occasion, and we must learn from this and take decisive action.”
He continued: “With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will withdraw the book from sale.”
As of Monday afternoon, the title was still available for sale at online retailers such as Amazon.
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