Last week the singer Sabrina Claudio found herself in the middle of major backlash when some old tweets of her’s surfaced. She apologized afterward, but it wasn’t right away. Eventually, people said her sorry wasn’t long enough, and it didn’t measure up to the size of the wrongdoing.
As we previously reported, things went South for the Miami-raised artist after those messages were found on a now shut down Twitter account called @ODamnYourUgly. On it, she disparaged Black women, darker skin in general and tossed around the n-word.
“It must suck to [be a] Black girl with no booty,” she wrote in one of the tweets. “N—-, God Bless you,” read another.
The timing of the controversy couldn’t come at a worse time for Claudio either since she just released a new song with DJ Khaled called “Don’t Let Me Down.” But instead of people discussing the single, they’ve been talking about the racist messages, and she’s been doing the same.
It’s possible that Claudio thought her initial sorry would buy her some forgiveness, but it only seemed to anger people more, which she acknowledged in her second apology.
“I’m truly overwhelmed,” she wrote. “These past few days for me have been incredibly hard to deal with. I’m sorry for not saying something sooner. I’m sorry for the short, straight to the point apology I posted on Twitter. I didn’t know what to do or say. But after a few days to take this all in, I need to tell you what I truly feel.”
“I’ve made many mistakes in my life,” continued Claudio. “Many that have happened when I was young, lost and did not know who I was as an individual. Ones that have no excuse. Time doesn’t matter. Whether it was six years ago or two minutes ago, it was still wrong.The words then are not who I was or who I am today. Yes, I made ignorant comments that I regret.”
Claudio also said that she didn’t create a website to attack all women, which is something she’s been accused of.
“To make this clear, I’ve never had an account dedicated to taking down women,” she wrote. “It breaks my heart to know that this rumor has been created and is being spread out. Discrimination in any form, no matter who it’s directed to, is not acceptable. I’ve grown as a woman. My heart, my mind, my emotions, my body, my everything. My music is dedicated to empowering women, empowering all people for that matter. It’s what I represent. It’s what I’m proud of most. I am so different than what I’m being painted out to be. But it’s my fault that you all feel the way I do. I am willing to prove to you who I really am.”
Many on Twitter didn’t buy that apology, however, and said Claudio was just trying to save her career.
“I want to hear a genuine apology for the hateful words she said towards Black women and specifics on how she changed as a person,” one person wrote. “That’s what I want to hear. Not some bullsh– apology her publicist made her write because she’s losing a good part of her fan base.”
You can see some of the other reactions below.
i’m sorry for you boo.. but you have been cancelled numerous amounts of times . it’s okay sis try again later
— 🦋🅴 (@ayeTegin) April 13, 2018
“Sorry” is not a magical reset button. Consequences just don’t magically go away and people don’t have to forgive you. I don’t see how somebody who could be so deeply invested in hate just magically be sorry when they have something to lose. WORDS ARE EASY TO SAY!
— Amber 📿💫 (@AmberDoesNails) April 14, 2018
I want to here a genuine apology for the hatful words she said towards black women and specifics on how she has changed as a person. That’s what i want to hers. Not some bullshit apology her publicist made her write bc she’s looking a good part of her fan base.
— come, again? (@itsoliviadenise) April 13, 2018
An apology is genuine when you acknowledge what you did that offended people and make steps to never do it again.
— come, again? (@itsoliviadenise) April 13, 2018
