Singer-rapper Doja Cat responded Sunday to accusations that she took part in racist conversations online.
“I’ve used public chat rooms to socialize since I was a child,” the 24-year-old, whose real name is Amalaratna Dlamini, explained in a statement she shared on Instagram. “I shouldn’t have been on some of those chat room sites, but I personally have never been involved in any racist conversations.
“I’m sorry to everyone that I offended.”
The social media furor began last week after allegations surfaced that she participated in racist video chats and, in 2015, wrote a song with a racial slur.
Doja Cat, who identified herself as “a black woman,” said the song was “written in response to people who often used that term to hurt me.” She wanted to “flip its meaning” but now believes it was “a bad decision to use the term in my music.”
The statement ended with Doja Cat apologizing for “upsetting or hurting” her fans.
“That’s not my character, and I’m determined to show that to everybody moving forward.”
Read her full statement below: