Camila Cabello apologized for using racist language in old Tumblr posts that were unearthed and shared online.
“When I was younger, I used language that I’m deeply ashamed of and will regret forever,” Cabello wrote in a post shared on Twitter. “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.”
Cabello’s old posts were uncovered and shared by a Twitter user named @motivatefenty. They feature racist images and repeated uses of the n-word; Cabello posted most of them in 2012 when she would have been around 14 or 15. While Cabello’s old Tumblr posts have since been deleted, @motivatefenty noted that all the links were archived on the Way Back Machine (@motivatefenty also seems to have usurped the Tumblr’s old URL).
In her apology, Cabello expressed her regret over the posts and acknowledged that while she “can’t go back in time and change things,” she would continue to strive to do better.
I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. pic.twitter.com/iZrnUawUAb
— camila (@Camila_Cabello) December 18, 2019
“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 [this language] carries in a way I wasn’t before,” Cabello wrote. “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 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.”
Popular on Rolling Stone
Cabello released her most recent album, Romance, earlier this month. She’s set to embark on a North American tour in support of the record July 29th, 2020, in Vancouver.