The Slayyyter Racist Tweets Controversy, Explained
The singer previously apologized for racist tweets she made in high school.
Slayyyter is once again facing allegations of racism after a series of old posts resurfaced online. Here’s what you need to know about the controversy.
Back in 2019, a series of tweets from a Fifth Harmony fan account (@camilkacowbello) linked to Slayyyter began circulating, showing repeated use of the N-word. The pop star owned up to the posts at the time, saying, “I was extremely annoying and cringey and would use slurs and say other things online because I thought I was being funny or edgy. As I matured I realized it’s never funny or cool to use those words under any circumstances.”
Slayyyter, whose real name is Catherine Garner, would have been around 15-17 years old at the time the slur-laden posts were made from 2012-2013. She later confirmed this with an additional apology, writing, “I wish so badly I could beat the shit out of my 15 year old self for behaving so inappropriately, but I can’t.”
“I knew those words were slurs, I knew it was offensive, but out of pure immaturity, I used it anyway,” she admitted. She also promised to donate to charities that support the Black LGBTQ+ community and said that she “will never stop apologizing for these tweets, and I hope to show you with my actions here on out that I have changed for the better.”
Nearly seven years later, Slayyyter has found a new level of success, and her tweets have once again resurfaced. This prompted a wave of backlash, which included a since-deleted video from Shea Couleé suggesting that the pop singer might still be calling Black people the N-word “in her mind.”
“I am a firm believer that platforms should be earned and not given,” Couleé said. “And I do not believe that we should be platforming racists. And just because she did these when she was a teenager doesn’t mean that she should be absolved for any accountability for the disgusting things that she posted online.”
There’s no question that Slayyyter’s tweets were heinous. However, it’s worth pointing out that she did take accountability for them in her 2020 apology. It’s also true that there’s an expectation for (white) teenagers to be given a certain amount of grace that may not be afforded to others.
Ultimately, the drag queen’s comments are part of a larger ongoing debate prompted by the resurfaced tweets as to whether it’s possible for someone to apologize, change, and keep/gain a platform, or whether allowing that does a disservice to the people they hurt by perpetuating racism.
A few additional factors have complicated the conversation even further. First, although Slayyyter took accountability for the tweets that were dredged up in 2019, some fans allege that additional fake tweets targeting Normani have been added into the mix.
Then there’s also the matter of the singer’s alleged recent comments on the controversy. Fans posted screenshots that are purportedly from her private account in which she appears frustrated with attempts to “recancel” her for “highschool things & behavior.”
This didn’t sit well with people who feel that she needs to accept that she’ll be apologizing for those tweets for the rest of her life.
Amidst all the controversy, Slayyyter has also canceled two tour dates in Europe after losing her voice. Although some have raised questions about whether the cancelations are linked to the resurfaced tweets, fans have pointed out that the singer had noticeably been battling voice issues for some time at recent shows.
