“Because of my privilege, I didn’t understand and wasn’t educated enough on the social injustices facing the Black community,” Addison Rae said.
Addison Rae Easterling, 19, colloquially known as Addison Rae on TikTok, has returned to social media, issuing an apology for previously re-posting a video that condemned the Black Lives Matter movement.
The TikTok star who recently went dark on both Twitter and Instagram and has refrained from posting on TikTok to her 49 million followers since June 28, came under fire for the resurfaced video, which shows a woman saying Black Lives Matter “is a cult” and that all lives matter.
READ MORE: Skai Jackson Uses Her Social Media Platforms To Exposes Racists
On Wednesday, Easterling shared a statement on Twitter, saying: “I owe all of you an apology. Four years ago, I reposted a video which included a woman sharing her thoughts on Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter that I should not have.
Because of my privilege, I didn’t understand and wasn’t educated enough on the social injustices facing the Black community. All lives CANNOT matter until Black lives do. The Black community was and continues to be oppressed and damaged by systemic racism.”
She explained that she is aware of her “mistakes” and is “committed to learning from them.”
“I will never stop growing, learning, and fighting for those whose voices rightfully need to be amplified, and will forever believe that Black Lives Matter,” she wrote. Easterling then encouraged her followers to join her in supporting and learning more about the global Black Lives Matter movement.
“I am truly sorry and I am committed to using the platform you all have given me to work on becoming a better ally. I love you all endlessly,” she concluded.
The apology comes after Easterling’s ex and fellow TikTok star Bryce Hall addressed speculation about her, including whether or not she’s currently pregnant.
Approached by the YouTube channel Celebrity Livin, Hall, 20, said he had “no comment” when asked about Easterling, but noted that she was fine. “I mean, she’s fine, just know that. And let me just clear it up, she’s not pregnant. I don’t know why that’s a thing. She’s not pregnant,” Hall said.
He added that he saw a headline claiming that he had confirmed the pregnancy, but insisted “that never happened.”