Stormzy releases heartfelt apology after old homophobic tweets resurface online
Stormzy is the latest celebrity to fall victim to his own old tweets, with the grime star being forced to apologise after he came under fire when a series of social media messages that saw him use homophobic slurs resurfaced online.
The tweets, which have now been deleted, were sent as early as 2011 – and as recently as 2014 -, and Stormzy would have been aged between 18 and 21 at the time.
In February 2012, Stormzy tweeted about BBC series School For Stars, writing: “Put it on BBC1 this little black boy is a f***ing f**”.
In another message sent in November 2011, Stormzy tweeted about BBC One soap opera EastEnders, saying of the show’s high-profile gay romance: “Loooooool u see Syed run into Christian’s arm. F***ing f**.”
In another tweet, which was sent just three years ago, Stormzy asks one of his followers if he is a “f*****”.
Needless to say, the comments have disappointed a lot of people, who took to the microblogging site to share their response to the slurs:
At first i thought it was banter, but damn, Stormzy has really messed up
— Jamie (@jamiebluebox) November 21, 2017
Stormzy's a homophobe? I smell a #StormzyIsOverParty
— Adam (@HookerBarbie_) November 21, 2017
There was always something about Stormzy I didn't like. Never got the hype. Think he's massively overrated. Now to hear / see he's made homophobic tweets, quite excessive ones at that, confirms my huge dislike for him. Disgusting.
— Daniel Power (@danielnadine) November 21, 2017
It's a shame to see Stormzy using derogatory terms, wouldn't have thought he was that way inclined
— Jamie (@jamiebluebox) November 21, 2017
disappointed at these old Stormzy tweets but ultimately not surprised. I just hope he addresses them and that his opinions have changed because that was some eyeroll inducing homophobia.
— i don't see it for me, but okay (@kwakuCAPRICHOSO) November 21, 2017
Responding to the online furore, Stormzy tweeted an apology, writing: “I said some foul and offensive things whilst tweeting years ago at a time when I was young and proudly ignorant. Very hurtful and discriminative views that I’ve unlearned as I’ve grown up and become a man.
“The comments I made were unacceptable and disgusting, full stop. Comments that I regret and to everyone I’ve offended, I am sorry, these are attitudes I’ve left in the past. The homophobic language I used was, embarrassingly, a part of my vocabulary when I was younger and ignorance made me feel comfortable to use them whilst not understanding the hate and the ramifications they carry.
“That isn’t an excuse, I take responsibility for my mistakes and hope you can understand that my younger self doesn’t reflect who I am today.
“Again, I’m sorry to everyone I’ve offended. To the LGBQT community and my supporters and friends, my deepest apologies.”
Stormzy is the latest in a string of celebrities to have their old tweets come back to haunt them, with YouTube sensation Zoella being forced to apologise after fans found her old “fat-shaming” and “slut-shaming” messages from when she was in her early 20s.
Fellow YouTuber Jack Maynard was also removed from the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle yesterday after his old tweets using homophobic and racist slurs were unearthed.
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