" I am so , so pitiful to everyone in the pitch-dark community . "
If you knowAlix Earle, it’s because of her presence on TikTok, which has since led to a relatively notable media presence as well as herHot Mess with Alix Earlepodcast.
A few years ago, screenshots circulated onRedditin which Alix, at the age of 13, was using the N-word on the social media platform ask.fm.
In recent weeks, the screenshots resurfaced, as well as discourse surrounding why Alix had never addressed their existence. This past Monday, she finally issued an apology (viaNBC News).
In a statement shared to her IG and TikTok stories, Alix claimed that, when she used the racial slur, she “did not understand the deeply offensive meaning." “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,” she added.
Alix went on to say that she was “deeply sorry that my words have hurt many and have led people to believe that I have any prejudice in my heart,” and she claimed the reason for her silence about the posts was that because “too many people” advised her to stay silent.
“There is no one to blame but myself for not standing my ground and going with my gut to speak out right away,” she qualified.
Yesterday, Alix posted asecondapology — this time, in the form of aTikTok.
I will continue to listen , learn , & do better . Love you all
In the video, Alix admitted that she’d handled the situation “terribly, and I recognize that, and I agree with you guys.”
“I am so, so sorry to everyone in the Black community and the Black community in my audience that I let down,” she said, later adding, “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.”
“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.”
Alix also said that 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.”
It’s worth noting that, in the 24 hours since she shared her latest apology, she’s postedfourvideos on TikTok, including two “Get Ready With Me” videos, suggesting that she’s back to business as usual after this latest apology. Whether or not that signals her level of sincerity is, I guess, up to you — but personally? I’m not really buying it.
Time will tell, as they say!
