Chloe Bennet on changing her last name: Hollywood 'is racist'

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Chloe Bennet says she changed her last name because of Hollywood racism.

The 25-year-old actress explained why she replaced her Chinese surname, Wang, in a since-deleted Instagram comment this week after a social media user questioned her for changing her name.

"Changing my last name doesn't change the fact that my BLOOD is half Chinese, that I lived in china, speak mandarin, or that I was culturally raised both American and Chinese," Bennet wrote.

"It means I had to pay my rent, and hollywood is racist and wouldn't cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable," she added.

Questions about Bennet's name change surfaced after the actress praised Ed Skrein for stepping down from his Hellboy role. The actor, who was cast to play a character of Asian heritage, left the film amid whitewashing accusations.

"Thank you @edskrein for standing up against hollywoods continuous insensitivity and flippant behavior towards the Asian American community," Bennet wrote in a post Monday.

"There is no way this decision came lightly on your part, so thank you for your bravery and genuinely impactful step forward," she lauded. "I hope this inspires other actors/film makers to do that same."

Bennet is the daughter of Bennet Wang, who is Chinese, and Stephanie Lynn Crane. She previously addressed her surname in an interview with the Daily Beast, saying she "got booked" on her first audition after her name change.