Normani Addresses Camila Cabello Controversy

Normani is finally ready to share her truth.

In her recently released Rolling Stone cover story, the 23-year-old singer opened up for the first time about fellow Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello‘s past racist remarks in old Tumblr posts and tweets, which she apologized for in Decemeber 2019.

“I want to be very clear about what I’m going to say on this uncomfortable subject and figured it would be best to write out my thoughts to avoid being misconstrued, as I have been in the past. I struggled with talking about this because I didn’t want it to be a part of my narrative, but I am a black woman, who is a part of an entire generation that has a similar story,” Normani shared in an e-mail statement to the magazine.

“I face senseless attacks daily, as does the rest of my community. This represents a day in the life for us. I have been tolerating discrimination far before I could even comprehend what exactly was happening. Direct and subliminal hatred has been geared towards me for many years solely because of the color of my skin. It would be dishonest if I said that this particular scenario didn’t hurt me," she admitted, referring to Camila's past racist comments.

"It was devastating that this came from a place that was supposed to be a safe haven and a sisterhood, because I knew that if the tables were turned I would defend each of them in a single heartbeat," Normani continued. "It took days for her to acknowledge what I was dealing with online and then years for her to take responsibility for the offensive tweets that recently resurfaced. Whether or not it was her intention, this made me feel like I was second to the relationship that she had with her fans.”

“I don’t want to say that this situation leaves me hopeless because I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity for personal growth," she said. "I really hope that an important lesson was learned in this. I hope there is genuine understanding about why this was absolutely unacceptable. I have spoken what is in my heart and pray this is transparent enough that I never have to speak on it again. To my brown men and women, we are like no other. Our power lies within our culture. We are descendants of an endless line of strong and resilient kings and queens. We have been and will continue to win in all that we do simply because of who we are. We deserve to be celebrated, I deserve to be celebrated and I’m just getting started.

As fans know, last year, screenshots of Camila using the n-word and posting racist gifs on her personal Tumblr in 2012 and 2013 were shared in a Twitter thread.

Shortly after the posts resurfaced, Camila issued a public apology, saying, "When I was younger, I used language that I’m deeply ashamed of and will regret forever. I was uneducated and ignorant and once I became aware of the history and the weight and the true meaning behind this horrible and hurtful language, I was deeply embarrassed I ever used it....As much as I wish I could, I can’t go back in time and change things I said in the past. But once you know better, you do better, and that’s all I can do."

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content