Comedians/talk show hosts Rina Nose (pronounced no-say) and Andre Taulany could potentially face a lawsuit for defamation after allegedly mocking the Latuconsina clan name in a recent episode of a talk show.
The controversy began after a clip from a talk show hosted by Rina and Andre that aired on Sunday was uploaded by a man identified as Arsal Tuasikal to his Facebook page, showing the two making puns out of the name of actress Prilly Latuconsina.
Prilly was born to a Sundanese mother and a Moluccan Muslim father, who hailed from the Pelauw village in Haruku Island, Maluku Province.
“The jokes from Andre Taulany and Rina Nose about the Latuconsina clan and calling it Latukonstruksi, Latukondangan, were not very reasonable,” Arsal wrote in the caption, adding that both presenters shouldn’t be hired by any TV programs in the country due to their “lack of manners.”
Latukonstruksi and Latukondangan are wordplays on Prilly’s surname and the Latuconsina clan name, combining it with “construction” and “wedding reception” in Indonesian, respectively.
At the time of publication, Arsal, who is an official at the Maluku chapter of Indonesia’s National Zakat Agency (BAZNAS), has reportedly taken down the video.
An advocate named Ruswan Latuconsina took the matter further by reporting Rina and Andre to the Jakarta Metro Police on Monday, under the grounds of defamation against the clan’s name through electronic media. Ruswan claimed to be representing the whole Latuconsina clan, as well as saying that the puns have hurt everyone who has the surname.
“The Latuconsina matter is not just for Prilly, but everyone who uses the Latuconsina surname. And we have our own king, we have our own system,” Ruswan told Kumparan on Monday.
Ruswan said that members of the clan have unanimously agreed to file the report against Andre and Rina.
“We will be following the legal steps. We will return [the decision] to the whole Latuconsina clan, because we are not opening the door of forgiveness [for the hosts] for the time being,” he continued.
Rina has conveyed her apology directly to Prilly, while Andre apologized to the 23-year-old actress through a television program, according to reports.
Yesterday, Prilly posted a story on Instagram explaining that she and her family have considered the matter to be resolved.
“My Latuconsina extended family from Pelauw village wholeheartedly accepted the apology from Pak Andre Taulany and Kak Rina Nose. We understand that Pak Andre and Kak Rina did not have any intention to insult let alone offend us, it was purely out of inadvertence and cluelessness regarding the Latu clan,” Prilly wrote.
Prilly said that she doesn’t have any relations with Ruswan, whom she said hailed from a different village in her father’s hometown.
“The person who reported [Andre and Rina] came from a different village, I don’t know him and based on information, he hailed from Kabau village,” Prilly said.
She ended her statement expressing hope that those who share the same surname as hers not to proceed with the legal process and forgive the hosts, considering that it’s the fasting month of Ramadan and the whole nation is currently reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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