After making headlines for calling Jamaican Dancehall queen Spice a “blue monkey” on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, actuality TV persona Erica Mena has issued an apology.
Delivering an official assertion to TMZ, Mena clarified her intentions, emphasizing they weren’t primarily based on racial prejudices.
She shared, “I deeply remorse my insensitive remark and wish to humbly apologise to anyone I harm or offended by my thoughtlessness. My alternative of phrases was fallacious, and I take full accountability for what I stated.”
Ties to the Caribbean
Mena, who’s the previous partner of rapper Safaree, whose lineage traces again to Jamaica, acknowledges the gravity of her phrases and the following backlash she confronted.
She expressed her dedication to constructive change, stating the she is “dedicated to listening to the voices of these affected and can work towards making amends.”
She added, “As a lady of color and the mom of two black kids, I wish to make it clear that my use of that phrase was not in any means racially pushed,” her assertion continued. “That stated, I do perceive the gravity of what I stated and wish to use my platform to advertise inclusivity and equality.”
Profession ramifications
Subsequent to her derogatory remark geared toward Spice, Mena’s place on ‘Love and Hip Hop’ was terminated.
Mena’s feedback had been made throughout a heated second. Spice prompt Mena’s son disliked her, main Mena to retaliate with the now-infamous “blue monkey” comment.
Whereas a big portion of the general public displayed indignation at Mena’s phrases, some believed Spice was leveraging the scenario to her benefit by portraying herself as a sufferer.
Addressing these speculations, Spice clarified her stance throughout a latest Instagram Dwell session.
She said she was not enjoying the sufferer however was taking accountability for the scenario.
Learn extra on Spice and Erica Mena
Spice raised questions concerning the intersection of racism and anger. She questioned whether or not enduring racist feedback is now deemed acceptable if somebody is angered.
She acknowledged the general public opinion that she could have triggered the incident by mentioning Mena’s son however clarified that this didn’t justify racism.
Moreover, she famous that Mena’s teenage son had been the topic of feedback from others previously, but the backlash was not equal to what she confronted.
She reminded her followers that in 2018, she painted her face white as a type of protest, aiming to carry consideration to the difficulty of colorism inside the black neighborhood.
She additional shared that some people would possibly react in another way primarily based on pores and skin complexion and that lighter-skinned black individuals won’t tolerate such feedback in the event that they had been in her place.
Spice additionally made references to her music “Black Hypocrisy,” which delves into her personal experiences of being ridiculed for her darkish pores and skin.
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