06/08/2021
For fans of Ellie Kemper, known for her quirky, yet sweet roles on shows “The Office” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” last week’s unsettling news about her past may have come as somewhat of a surprise.
On May 30, a photo surfaced online of Kemper crowned queen at the 1999 Veiled Prophet Ball in St. Louis, Mo. The ball, founded by confederate soldiers in 1878, provided a type of debutante celebration for the city’s wealthy elite. According to Yahoo News, the organization did not welcome black members until 1979. The Veiled Prophet character shares similarities in looks to that of a uniform from the Klu Klux Klan, which rattled many Kemper followers.