Camila Cabello apologizes for past racist language: 'I was uneducated and ignorant'
Camila Cabello apologized Wednesday for "horrible and hurtful language" she used as a teen. The pop star's mea culpa comes one day after a Twitter thread went viral pointing out multiple racist and Xenophobic posts Cabello allegedly shared on Tumblr between 2012 and 2013. Although the "Havana" singer didn't specifically address the posts, she offered an apology on social media saying she was "embarrassingly ignorant and unaware" of her actions.
"When I was younger, I used language that I'm deeply ashamed of and will regret forever," her statement began. "I was uneducated and ignorant and once I became aware of the history and the weight and the true meaning behind this horrible and hurtful language, I was deeply embarrassed I ever used it. I apologized then and I apologize again now. I would never intentionally hurt anyone and I regret it from the bottom of my heart. As much as I wish I could, I can't go back in time and change things I said in the past. But once you know better, you do better and that's all I can do."
The Tumblr account in question — "vous-etess-belle" — has since been deactivated. The account reposted racist memes mocking black, Asian and Mexican people and shared multiple posts using the N-word. It also reposted a joke about domestic violence involving Rihanna and Chris Brown. While Cabello was vague in what exactly she was apologizing for, she emphasized she has "learned" from past mistakes and stands for "love and inclusivity."
"I'm 22 now, I'm an adult and I've grown and learned and am conscious and aware of the history and the pain it carries in a way I wasn't before," she continued. "Those mistakes don't represent the person I am or a person I've ever been. I only stand and have ever stood for love and inclusivity, and my heart has never, even then, had any ounce of hate or divisiveness."
The former Fifth Harmony singer concluded, "The truth is I was embarrassingly ignorant and unaware. I use my platform to speak out about injustice and inequality and I'll continue doing that. I can't say enough how deeply sorry and ashamed I feel, and I apologize again from the bottom of my heart."
I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. pic.twitter.com/iZrnUawUAb
— camila (@Camila_Cabello) December 18, 2019
The Cuban-American singer has been accused of racist behavior before. Specifically, after she was reportedly hacked and private messages appeared to show her using the N-word. However, Cabello didn't address the incident and Yahoo Entertainment cannot verify the messages.
The "Se?orita" singer isn't the first pop star to regret her past use of racist language. Cabello's boyfriend, Shawn Mendes, apologized in April for posting "racially insensitive comments on social media when I was younger." Earlier this month, Justin Bieber apologized again for using racial slurs as a teenager.
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