In this 2017 file photo, Ellie Kemper arrives on the red carpet at the 69th Emmy Awards
Old photos of actress Ellie Kemper, who rose to fame in roles in “The Office” and “Bridesmaids” before starring in the Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” hey dude shoes resurfaced over Memorial Day weekend and ignited controversy for her involvement with a St. Louis organization that historically celebrated the wealthy white elite while excluding Black members.
The Veiled Prophet Organization, which originated in the late 1800s as a group of wealthy business owners in St. Louis, still holds an annual debutante event called the Veiled Prophet Ball, in which the daughter of one of the group’s members is crowned queen by a “Veiled Prophet,” a secret member who wears white robes and a white veil covering his face.
“Each year, approximately sixty to seventy young women are chosen for their outstanding community service efforts and walk down the magnificent 72-foot-long Veiled Prophet runway in fashionable couture gowns, and in front of family and friends, are presented and honored for their contributions,” reads an event description from the Veiled Prophet organization’s website.
A 1999 archived article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch announced that “Elizabeth skechers outlet Claire ‘Ellie’ Kemper, 19, (was crowned) the 1999 Queen of Love and Beauty” at that year’s Veiled Prophet Ball while she was a freshman at Princeton University.
The article noted that Kemper is a member of a historically wealthy banking family in Missouri including her father, David Kemper, a high-profile bank executive.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Kemper for comment.
In response to the controversy, The Veiled Prophet Organization described itself in a statement to USA TODAY Tuesday as “dedicated to civic progress, economic contributions and charitable causes in St. Louis.”
“Our organization believes in and promotes inclusion, diversity and equality for this region,” the statement read. “We absolutely reject racism and have never partnered or associated with any organization that harbors these beliefs.”
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