Artist Doja Cat has addressed claims of racism, after she was linked to ‘alt-right’ chat rooms in which ‘racist’ conversation was prevalent.
Recently clips emerged of the star – real name Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini – taking part in what has been described as ‘racist incel’ chat rooms.
It didn’t take long for people to start using the tag #DojaIsOverParty on social media and while she’d previously kept silent on the accusations, on Monday morning she spoke out.
Sharing a lengthy statement on social media, the Mooo! singer, 24, said that while she shouldn’t have used the chat rooms, she wasn’t racist.
Writing on Instagram ‘I want to address what’s been happening on Twitter’, she continued: ‘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 anyone I offended. (sic)’
The star – who recently celebrated a number one song, Say So, alongside Nicki Minaj – added: ‘I’m a black woman. Half of my family is black from South Africa and I’m very proud of where I come from.’
Adding fuel to the controversy, Doja was slammed for her 2015 song titled Dindu Nuffin, which is a stylised phrase of ‘didn’t do nothing’, and is allegedly used by ‘racist alt-right’ groups to mock Black victims of police brutality who state their innocence.
Addressing the song, Doja wrote: ‘As for the old song that’s resurfaced, it wasn’t no way tied to anything outside of my own personal experience.
‘It was written in response to people who often use that term to hurt me.
‘I made an attempt to flip its meeting but recognize that it was a bad decision to use the term in my music. (sic)’
Doja added that she understood her ‘influence and impact’ and was taking it all seriously, concluding: ‘I love you all and I’m sorry for upsetting or hurting any of you.
‘That’s not my character and I’m determined to show that to everybody moving forward. Thank you.’
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