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Tulisa Contostavlos Reaches Out To Misha B With Second Apology After Denying X Factor Racism Claims
24 June 2020, 10:15
Tulisa Contostavlos has shared a lengthy second apology on Instagram after responding to Misha B’s X Factor racism claims.
Tulisa Contostavlos has shared a new apology to Misha B following the racism and ‘scripted’ bullying accusations on the X Factor.
Following the judge’s video apology last week, she has gone into more detail to address why she ‘jumped to defence’ in her first statement, admitting it was a reaction to the ‘online death threats’ she received.
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In her new apology, she said: “I fully acknowledge the pain I caused & fully accept people should be angry about it. I can state again there was nothing racial in my thought process. When I referred to Misha as being feisty & competitive that was a reflection of myself because I saw myself in Misha. We are both very strong women & when I communicate with people I always jump to what I have in common to find a basis to connect.
“However, I totally understand that it made Misha feel a certain way, as a young black girl hearing it from a young white girl on a huge platform, living in the oppressed society we do, full of racial slurs & undertones, not knowing my thought process. This I can only acknowledge, apologise for, hold my hands up & say I’m truly sorry. It was something I did not understand at the time. I made a mistake and I completely take on board how that mistake has been viewed."
Tulisa Responds To Misha B’s Racism Claims
Tulisa continued: “On the backstage issue, I addressed it that day on air because when I feel under threat, or someone I care about is under threat, my instant reaction is to fight back. That day, someone younger than both of us came crying to me in my dressing room, upset over an accusation/judgement about them Misha had expressed & later admitted to me, which I felt was extremely harsh & it was not the first I had heard of this. I ran out there thinking, I’m doing the right thing, I have to call her out, I have to protect, I have to be a protector, attacking it head on is the only way to make it stop.
“I let my emotions get in the way of my work & I didn’t stop to think of the consequences for you, Misha, at the age of 18, immediate or long term. I was 22, I didn’t have any guidance & I’d been given the most powerful platform in the industry at the time. I had a huge responsibility that I clearly wasn’t ready for in those circumstances. If I could go back in time I would have pulled you aside, spoke about the issues, then probably opened up about my own issues, & we’d have had an open & honest dialogue, & maybe found some common ground in our childhood upbringings.
“That’s what I would do now, & that’s the person I am today. I don’t have many regrets, but I regret what happened with us. All my other mistakes only affected me, I can live with that. But that mistake affected you.
“You have every right to be angry, & speak your truth & how it made you feel. I do however feel you left out what our specific issue was about, & left my intentions a lot more open to interpretation. I was most definitely acting on impulse & was not aware of, nor part of, any agendas that could have been at play. I’ve seen a lot of talk about Gary mentioning manipulation from producers which people are relating to this situation. I can confirm myself & Gary had separate producers assigned to us so I can’t speak for his experience, only my own."
“Over the years I’ve looked at this situation & thought about reaching out to you many times. I didn’t & of course, that was a mistake. I can only tell you once again how sorry I am for the years of hurt & pain you’ve experienced, & that I was part of that. I don’t want to see anyone hurting, let alone be the cause of it. I only hope you can see my heart now & know that that’s not who I am today," added the N-Dubz star.
This comes after the former contestant had initially revealed the PTSD she’s suffered since the 'scripted’ accusations that judges Louis Walsh and Tulisa threw at her on stage about ‘bullying’ other contestants, which led to a lot of backlash from fans after they jumped to her defence online.
ITV have confirmed they’re investigating the singer’s claims during her time on the show, with them telling the MailOnline: "We are very concerned to hear Misha’s comments regarding her experience on The X Factor in 2011.
“We are currently looking into this matter and are reaching out to Misha to discuss the important issues she has raised. The welfare of contestants is our priority and we are committed to diversity and equality.”
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