Alix Earle has issued an apology for racist social media posts she made at age 13.
While the posts, made on the website ASKfm, first came to light on Reddit two years ago, they’ve resurfaced within the past few weeks after being shared on various online platforms
Since then, fans have asked Earle, 23, to speak out about the tweets throughout the comment section of each of her TikToks, causing her to address the controversial posts in a lengthy statement shared on her TikTok and Instagram Stories on Monday, Aug. 26.
The statement began with the beauty and lifestyle influencer apologizing for using the word “n—-.”
Alix Earle/Instagram
“A couple of weeks ago, screenshots surfaced from my old ask.fm account showing me using a slur in the summer of 2014. I am taking accountability and want to make it clear that I was 13 years old and did not understand the deeply offensive meaning behind that word,” she wrote.
“That is no excuse for using that word in any context or at any age. That absolutely is not the way I speak or what I stand for,” Earle continued. “I am deeply sorry that my words have hurt many and have led people to believe that I have any prejudice in my heart. I promise you that could not be further from the truth.”
Noting that she is “sincerely sorry to those I offended,” she added, “I regret how I handled this situation, allowing too many people to talk me out of saying something for too long.”
“I wasn’t sure how to handle it and unfortunately the advice I was given, although well intended, was wrong. There is no one to blame but myself for not standing my ground and going with my gut to speak out right away.”
PEOPLE reached out to a rep for Earle for comment.
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Earle, who has 7.1 million followers and over 1 billion likes on TikTok, the platform where her “Get Ready with Me” (GRWM) videos helped her rise to fame, continued her statement by addressing rumors that she trademarked her old posts and that she had lost a brand partnership.
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“In the absence of my addressing this, my silence allowed others to fill the void with rumors that simply aren’t true. One rumor in particular is that I tried to trademark my old posts, which is absolutely ridiculous and untrue,” she said. “Another is that a brand announced they are no longer working with me, even though we have never been in conversations with them about a partnership in any capacity.”
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The social media star ended her statement by writing, “Regardless of what’s being said online, I wanted to come on here to address the facts and most importantly apologize.”
