The Bachelorette alum Hannah Brown has issued an apology for singing the N-word on Instagram Live after being subjected to backlash from fans.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
"I owe you all a major apology," Hannah wrote in her Instagram Stories on Sunday.
"There is no excuse and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt I have caused. I own it all. I am terribly sorry and know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better."
Hannah first addressed saying the N-word in her Instagram Live session after reading the comments that were pouring in live from viewers, who immediately called out Hannah's offensive error in judgement.
Hannah initially claimed she didn't realize she had said that word and offered a half-hearted apology.
"I did? I'm so sorry... I was singing this, I'm so sorry," Hannah said while smiling and essentially laughing. "I don't think [I did]. Maybe it was Patrick [my brother]... Um, anyway."
Hannah later expressed embarrassment once she seemingly realized she couldn't brush her mistake under the rug, but she still wasn't fully owning it.
"I really don't think I said that word. I don't think I said that word, but now I'm like, 'Oh God,'" Hannah told her fans, according to Us Weekly.
"I'd never use that word. I've never called anybody that. We don't say that word... So, you know what, I'm going to stay here, and y'all can think I said whatever I did or think I'm something I'm not, but I'm not that."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Hannah reportedly added, "Look, people are going to want to think whatever they want to think of me, get mad at me, whatever. And even if I did accidentally say it, I'm very sorry, I was singing a song and not even thinking."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWFans therefore deemed Hannah "insensitive" and "dumb" among other insults on social media.
"I was a big fan of Bachelorette/DWTS Winner Hannah Brown, until she decided to drop a hard N word in a rap song and then smirk and laugh through an 'apology.' HB, you're done in my book! Now considered irrelevant," one person tweeted, according to Us.
And another person reportedly wrote, "Hannah b clinching the top spot for absolute most pathetic 'white person that said the n word' apologies in history."
Former The Bachelor bachelorette Bekah Martinez, a 25-year-old who competed for Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s heart on The Bachelor's 22nd season, also slammed Hannah for the offense -- and Bekah didn't go easy on the former beauty pageant queen.
"Even if it's 'just the lyrics to a song'... especially when that person had the wherewithal to skip over the F-word lyric first," Bekah wrote Sunday in her Instagram Stories.
"We've GOT to hold people accountable to do better otherwise we're continuing to prioritize the feelings of white people (and someone we 'stan') over ending our country's loooong history of casual racism and flippant anti-blackness."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Bekah continued, "You can't say the N-word just because black people say it. Black people reclaimed the use of a word that was used for centuries to oppress and dehumanize them."
ADVERTISEMENT
"So no, it's not cool to just sing it along the lyrics of a song especially not ON YOUR PLATFORM WITH MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS?!! smh. It's 2020. at least make a legitimate apology and acknowledge your behavior," she concluded.
Bekah also acknowledged in a subsequent video she's "definitely far from perfect" and grew up with "a lot of ignorance" she had to "unlearn." Bekah explained it's just "disturbing" when people are quick to excuse behavior that is "damaging and hurtful."
"I think it's also just upsetting to me when I feel like people don't take the weight of their responsibility as someone with a lot of privilege and a lot of influence seriously and don't take the time to care and acknowledge when they f-ck up," Bekah added.
Bekah's strong reaction to Hannah's video seemingly prompted Hannah's latest apology, which appears to be more sincere than the first two times she had addressed the controversy.
After failing to win Arie's heart on The Bachelor, Bekah moved on with her now boyfriend Grayston Leonard and they are currently expecting their second child together.
Meanwhile, Hannah is quarantining with her family in Alabama after spending several weeks with her The Bachelorette runner-up, Tyler Cameron, in his hometown of Jupiter, FL.
The Bachelorette's Season 15 star, who claims to be single and ready to get in a new relationship, has been passing the time by posting funny TikTok videos and communicating with her fans on Instagram.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
