Singer-rapper Doja Cat has issued a statement on her Instagram account addressing the controversy she has found herself in after an offensive song from 2015, as well as alleged conversations she had with alt-right internet users, resurfaced online.
In the past week, internet users have been canceling the “Say So” singer using the hashtags #DojaCatIsOverParty and #OnlyKlans over her song “Dindu Nuffin” which is a racist slur against black people who have been victims of police brutality. Fans also called her out for having appeared in a video chat that included alleged members of the alt-right.
“I want to address what’s been happening on Twitter,” she wrote on her Instagram post. “I’ve used public chat rooms to socialize since I was a child. I shouldn’t have been on some of those chat room sites, but I personally have never been involved in any racist conversations. I’m sorry to everyone I offended.”
Doja, whose real name is Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, pointed out that she is half-black and wrote the song in the past in response to people who have used the term to hurt her.
“I’m a black woman. Half of my family is black from South Africa and I’m very proud of where I come from,” she continued. “As for the old song that’s resurfaced, it was in no way tied to anything outside of my own personal experience. It was written in response to people who often used that term to hurt me. I made an attempt to flip its meaning, but recognize that it was a bad decision to use the term in my music.”
She then ended her post by promising her fans to be a better influence from now on.
“I understand my influence and impact and I’m taking this all very seriously. I love you all and I’m sorry for upsetting or hurting any of you,” she added. “That’s not my character, and I’m determined to show that to everyone moving forward. Thank you.”
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