TikTok star Addison Rae has apologized after some fans accused her of posting an “insensitive” selfie amid the Black Lives Matter movement. The influencer came under fire after she shared a photo of herself on Sunday, July 7, which she captioned with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr., following the tragic death of George Floyd.
Singer Gus Dapperton even called her out, writing on his Instagram Stories, “Just because you caption your selfies with an MLK quote doesn’t mean this isn’t shallow as f**k.”
After receiving a lot of backlash, the social media star removed the quote from her caption and apologized in an Instagram comment.
“I am so sorry to anyone I may have upset with this,” she wrote. “My intentions are pure and this quote is something I believe in so deeply. Again, I am so sorry and I’ll take it down. I believe supporting BLM on social media is just as important as what I’m doing outside of it, which I will continue to do.”
Her message was quickly screenshotted and reported by Instagram account TikTok Room.
As fans know, many celebrities have spoken out and taken to the streets to protest — including Addison — following George’s unjust passing. The 46-year-old, unarmed black man died in Minneapolis, MN, on May 25, after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The white officer — Derek Chauvin — did not move even as George repeatedly said “I can’t breathe,” as heard in a video captured by bystanders. The officer has since been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, while fellow officers Thomas K. Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — who were also present at the time of the incident — were charged with aiding and abetting murder.
On June 4, 2020, Addison shared a photo of her little brothers, Lucas and Monty Lopez, protesting and holding a sign that read, “No Justice. No Peace.”
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