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Normani admits it was ‘devastating’ it took so long for Camila Cabello to address past racist comments


Normani (left) opened up about her hurt over Camila Cabello’s (right) comments (Picture: Getty)

Normani has opened up about how she felt when Camila Cabello’s past racist comments resurfaced. Admitting it was ‘devastating’ it took her so long to address them.

The pair were formerly bandmates in Fifth Harmony before Camila left the group in 2016 to go solo, and the rest of them also later disbanded for solo projects.

Last year, tweets Camila had posted several years ago resurfaced, in which she used racist and derogatory language.

Camila apologised for the comments, admitting she was ‘uneducated and ignorant’ when they were written, but Normani was hurt it took her so long to speak out about it.

She told Rolling Stone in an email statement: ‘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.

‘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.

Camila and Normani had been in Fifth Harmony together (Picture: Getty)

‘Direct and subliminal hatred has been geared towards me for many years solely because of the colour of my skin.’

She added that the situation with Camila had hurt her, explaining: ‘It would be dishonest if I said that this particular scenario didn’t hurt me.

‘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.

‘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.

Camila apologised for her past racist tweets (Picture: @camila_cabello)

‘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.

‘I really hope that an important lesson was learned in this. I hope there is genuine understanding about why this was absolutely unacceptable.’

Camila had apologised for the posts in December, writing: ‘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 language, I was deeply embarrassed I ever used it.

Normani felt ‘hurt’ it took Camila so long to address her comments (Picture: Twitter/Sony Singapore Music)

‘I apologised then and I apologise again now. I would never intentionally hurt anyone and I regret it from the bottom of my heart.

‘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.’

She continued: ‘I’m 22 now, I’m an adult and I’ve grown and learned and am conscious and aware of the history and the pain it carries in a way I wasn’t before. Those mistakes don’t represent the person I am or a person I’ve ever been.

‘I only stand for love and inclusivity, and my heart has never, even then, had any ounce of hate or divisiveness.

‘The truth is I was embarrassingly ignorant and unaware. I use my platform to speak out about injustice and inequality and I’ll continue doing that.

‘I can’t say enough how deeply sorry and ashamed I feel, and I apologise again from the bottom of my heart.’

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