Alix Earle Apologizes for Decade-Old Racial Slurs: ‘No Excuse’

Alix Earle is addressing recent controversies surrounding her past use of a racial slur, which have surfaced online.

The “Hot Mess with Alix Earle” podcast host and TikTok personality, who was recently named to the Forbes 30 under 30 social media list, acknowledged the authenticity of the screenshots and apologized for her behavior as a teenager.

Earle, now 23, explained in an Instagram story posted 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 elaborated, “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.”

Earle emphasized, “My platform has always focused on positivity, entertainment, and uplifting others, and will continue to do so. I am sincerely sorry to those I have offended.”

The resurfaced screenshots, originally shared around two years ago, gained renewed attention earlier this month. Earle admitted that she previously received advice not to address the issue and took responsibility for her delayed response.

“I regret how I handled this situation, allowing too many people to talk me out of saying something for too long. I wasn’t sure how to handle it and unfortunately the advice I was given, although well intended, was wrong,” she wrote.

“There is no one to blame but myself for not standing my ground and going with my gut to speak out right away. In the absence of my addressing this, my silence allowed others to fill the void with rumors that simply aren’t true.”

Earle, who hails from New Jersey and now resides in Miami, began gaining popularity on TikTok in 2022 by sharing her struggles with acne. Earlier this year, she was the first cover star of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s digital issue and participated in their runway show during Miami Swim Week.

In a recent interview, Earle mentioned that her brand focuses on “being authentically herself.” She has been open about aspects of her life, such as undergoing breast augmentation and facing disordered eating, shedding light on the reality behind her online persona.

“I definitely think people have misconceptions about me,” she told Sports Illustrated. “There’s millions of people online who get it wrong all the time. And I think my audience has a good understanding of who I am and why I post what I post. People who have a misunderstanding about me don’t really engage in all of my content and see everything that I do.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alix Earle apologizes for using racial slurs in posts from a decade ago: ‘No excuse’

Source: USA Today