The social media breakout star, 23, who rose to fame by posting "get ready with me" videos as a college student at the University of Miami while talking openly about her life, addressed the post Friday and promised to "do better." She now hosts the wildly popular "Hot Mess with Alix Earle" podcast.
"I will continue to listen, learn, & do better. Love you all," she captioned the TikTok post , telling fans she handled the situation "terribly, and I recognize that, and I agree with you guys."
Earlier this week, the popular podcaster broke her silence on screenshots from when she was 13 that show her using a racial slur, which have been circulating online. The Forbes 30 under 30 — social media list recipient confirmed the screenshots were real and apologized for her word choices as a teen.
The screenshots were shared as far back as two years ago but started gaining traction earlier this month. Earle said she received advice to not address the issue and accepted responsibility for not speaking out until now.
She took to TikTok again on Friday.
"I am so, so sorry to everyone in the Black community and the Black community in my audience that I let down," Earle said in the TikTok video, later telling viewers "I just want to put this out here for you guys that that's not who I am as a person, that's not the way I speak, it's not what I stand for, that's not the way my friends speak like I don't think that's cool."
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model spoke out about how she didn't want young girls who looked up to her as a role model to use similar language: "I don't want any young girls watching this and thinking that because I haven't said anything, I think it's okay, or that it's cool or whatever. It doesn't matter the context, it doesn't matter the age, like it was wrong, and I admit that, and I didn't come on and say anything about it, because I just was so scared of saying the wrong thing or not addressing it properly." Earle said, addressing her delay in talking publicly about the situation.
Alix Earle, the influencer and TikTok star, is apologizing for a second time publicly for using racial slurs directed at Black people at 13 a decade ago. Astra Marina/BFA.com
Earle said she "hopes in the future that I can show that that's not who I am as a person, and I know I carried myself terribly in this situation, and I'm just trying to have some honesty out there because I feel like that's what's really been lacking in all of this."
Earle wrote in an Instagram story Monday: "A couple of weeks ago, screenshots surfaced from my old ask.fm account showing me using a slur in the summer of 2014. I am taking accountability and want to make it clear that I was 13 years old and did not understand the deeply offensive meaning behind that word."
She continued: "That is no excuse for using that word in any context or at any age. That absolutely is not the way I speak or what I stand for. I am deeply sorry that my words have hurt many and have led people to believe that I have any prejudice in my heart. I promise you that could not be further from the truth.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0