Hannah Brown, former Bachelorette and Dancing with the Stars participant, is in the hot seat. During an Instagram Live, she began singing "Rockstar" by DaBaby and said the n-word. In the video, she slightly hesitates before saying the racial slur but continues nevertheless. In her apology, Brown is seen laughing as she speaks. After lots of backlash from the media and from other celebrities following her initial apology, she wrote out a more formal apology on her Instagram story.
Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay took to Instagram to say, "It's easy to hide behind words, but when you're bold enough to say the n-word on camera, on your platform... then you need be bold enough to use your face on camera and apologize in the same way you said the word." Brown's ex-boyfriend Tyler Cameron posted on his Instagram in agreement with Lindsay, saying that this should be a learning experience for Brown and an educational opportunity for everyone.
Fans have taken two sides to the controversy. The majority of Bachelor Nation has agreed with Cameron and Lindsay's comments on social media, however, there is also a good portion of fans that are saying that it was "just a word in a rap song" and that Brown has done nothing wrong.
The fact of the matter is that Brown was comfortable enough to say the n-word in front of thousands of viewers and laugh during her insincere apology. The history that is inherently tied to the word does not belong to her, and therefore she should not use the slur. It does not matter if the n-word is sung in a song or spoken in a conversation. The n-word means the same in any context and people outside of the black community do not have a right to say it. When we, as a society, choose to ignore or dismiss the wrongdoings of celebrities we are directly allowing modern acts of racism to continue.
As an influential role model for her fans and with such a large platform, Brown has no excuse for her actions and is not exempt from its consequences.
