Tulisa apologises for X Factor race row with Misha B: “I fully acknowledge the pain I caused”

"I can see clearly that a black female was and is still hurt by my actions on The X Factor."

Singer Tulisa Contostavlos has issued a second apology for the way she treated Misha B on The X Factor, but also denied accusations of racism once more.

Contostavlos, a former judge on the show, responded after Misha said an “angry black girl” narrative was forced on her during the show’s eighth series in 2011.

Misha B says she was diagnosed with PTSD after the show, and the experience left her suffering from suicidal thoughts.

“They saw an opportunity to tear down a black girl that came from a broken home and worked together to assassinate my character and to sabotage my career by orchestrating lies,” she said.

View this post on Instagram

T ❤️ X @iammisha_b

A post shared by Tulisa Contostavlos (@tulisasinstagram) on

Misha added: “I know that I’m not the only one who has heard those words – feisty, mean… These are common words people use to describe black women.”

Contostavlos told Misha during the show: “You being so feisty can come across quite mean.”

After initially responding last week, Contostavlos has now issued a full statement.

She wrote on Instagram: “It’s been hard to find the words or know whether to speak at all, but I don’t want to leave things on the note of my last post.

View this post on Instagram

I’m just going to leave this here. I have received many calls and messages throughout the last couple of months regarding this incident. I have been in two minds of whether to address it, simply because I know that this problem is a lot bigger than me and I wanted to focus solely on the current affairs. Seeing the continuous mistreatment of my brothers and sisters all around the world has reawakened the PTSD that I have worked tirelessly to uproot and I know I do not stand alone on this. In 2011 what I thought at the time would be the best opportunity for me, turned out to be the most painful experience of my life. What you see in this video is 1% of what I endured. They saw an opportunity to tear down a black girl that came from a broken home and worked together to assassinate my character and to sabotage my career by orchestrating lies. ALL FOR A HEAD LINE. Nonetheless today and everyday I am a powerful black woman. I have been aware since I was a child, that my unapologetic nature would offend those that do not feel comfortable in their own skin…. Which results in this kind of behaviour. But In the words of our late great Maya Angelou STILL I RISE 🦋✊🏿 Please join me on Instagram live tonight @ 9pm where I will be talking about my experiences further. I want to make it clear that I share my truth only to educate and uplift. LOVE, m i S h a

A post shared by m i S h a (@iammisha_b) on

“I can see clearly that a black female was and is still hurt by my actions on The X Factor. That became overshadowed in my mind last week.”

Describing the backlash to her initial response, she said: “It was more of a reaction to online violent/ death threats to me & my family & people telling me to kill myself.”

After explaining how she apologised separately to Misha, she said: “I fully acknowledge the pain I caused and 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 and competitive that was a reflection of myself because I saw myself in Misha.

“We are both very strong women and when I communicate with people I always jump to what I have in common to find a basis to connect.”

She added: ” 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 and undertones, not knowing my thought process.”

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories