U.K. rapper Stefflon Don is attempting to correct her problematic past before social media, specifically, cancel culture, does it for her.
Like with many celebrities who’ve been accused of promoting colorism, including the likes of Dani Leigh and LaToya Ali, Stefflon’s past tweets speaking ill of dark-skinned Black women have come back to haunt her.
On Monday, March 1, the “Hurtin’ Me” rapper took to her social media account where she addressed her past remarks, claiming that she’s grown as a person since then. “Every time I am on a blog people want to bring up my past mistakes. So let me post it here MYSELF for everyone to see,” she wrote. “Because you will not trick or scare me with something I my self acknowledged, owned and sincerely apologized for.”
The 29-year-old later shared another post in which she reposted the old tweet in question. “Yes this was me almost 10 years ago,” she explained. “Ignorant and angry So I directed this tweet at a girl who shaded me for my colour. I have grown since then and owned up to my mistakes and this is not a reflection of the Woman I am today! I have apologized and moved on I hope you can too.”
“All you dark-skinned hating on light skinned b-tchs don’t act like if god gave you a choice you wouldn’t change your colour lool,” Stefflon wrote in a tweet dated Nov. 4, 2013. At the time, the rapper would’ve been roughly 22 years old.
Reactions from folks on Twitter were mixed. While many people forgave and even praised the rapper after she had owned up to her behavior, not everyone was ready to forget the past. One Twitter user wrote, “Don’t forget to add how old you were when you thought this was a good idea to tweet this.” They added, “A grown woman. Embarrassing.”
Another person replied to Stefflon, seemingly addressing her old post directly, writing, “Um no sweetheart we wouldn’t change the color of our skin. Darkskins have a magic glow 🤩 & we NEVER hate.” They added, “I know plenty of dark skin people who got picked on just because the color of their skin! Including myself. Let us live hoe.”
“Not a single apology in sight just you trying to save yourself from a blast from the past and hoping everyone moves on,” a third wrote.
This isn’t Stefflon’s first run-in with cancel culture. In 2019, the rapper caught flak for sharing a photo where she seemingly made light of Black Lives Matter protestors. In the snap, Stefflon was pretending to be arrested by an officer. In the caption, she wrote, “Bloodclaat mi a get locked up Black Lives Matter.”
Backlash ensued almost immediately. In a since-deleted post, she took zero accountability for how she responded to fans who said they were offended by her post and instead told critics essentially to stop being so sensitive.
