Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots used an appearance on Twitch this week to once again apologize for a three-month-old tweet that many criticized as insensitive.
In September, the musician tweeted a photo showing him wearing platform shoes and wrote: “you guys keep asking me to use my platforms. feels good to dust these bad boys off.” Some of his followers reacted by suggesting Joseph use his platforms to support the Black Lives Matter movement instead.
Joseph later deleted the tweet and told his followers he was “truly sorry if it hurt anyone.”
On Tuesday, the 32-year-old said he there have been threats against him and his wife Jenna and their infant daughter.
“What I want to do is clear something up, in hopes that that happens less or at least stops happening altogether,” he said.
“I know I’m not a racist person, I know that about myself. Not just because of the words that I say or what I say outwardly but also because of my actions.”
Joseph explained how he set up a non-profit organization in his native Ohio in 2016 to support inner-city kids.
“I’ve never gone public about it,” he said. “I want you to know that I’m an advocate for, an ally of, and a supporter of black lives in ways that you may never know.
“I’m not talking about this as an excuse for what I’ve done, said and tweeted. I still come back around and know I was wrong, I shouldn’t have done it and I’m sorry.”
Moments earlier, Joseph admitted: “I see now how I could have hurt some people, and it did hurt people.
“I wish I could take it back, but I can’t and I’m truly sorry. I hope you can forgive me for it.”