Just hours after Taylor Caniff had called out Chase Hudson for not using his platform to speak up about the Black Lives Matter movement and the unjust passing of George Floyd, the TikTok star has responded to the backlash.
Taking to Twitter, the 18-year-old wrote, “For absolute clarity, the only reason I took a beat before posting about this historical situation unfolding in our country was out of pure respect for George Floyd and his family. The last thing I wanted to do was disrespect his ultimate sacrifice by commenting before I had a chance to educate myself about the situation and make absolutely sure I knew how to best honor him and his legacy.”
As fans know, George — a 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.
#blacklivesmatter 💜 pic.twitter.com/URtoD22Rli
— chase hudson (@xlilhuddy) June 3, 2020
“Make no mistake, I stand with George Floyd, his family, Black Lives Matter and all of those that have suffered at the hand of racial injustice!” the influencer continued. “While I will never pretend to fully understand the cope of the problem, George Floyd’s death has drastically opened my eyes t the fact that not only do I have a lot to learn and grow from, but I also need to be a consistent part of the solution. As a result, let me start with this… There is a critical link that I have put in all of my bios we can all use to show love, support and most importantly, educate ourselves about the current situation and ways we can work together to fight injustice. I love you all and thank you for growing with me!”
For those who missed it, while attending a protest in Los Angeles, CA, on June 1, Taylor slammed Chase for not participating.
“SPEAK UP, OR IM CALLING OUT YOUR LEGS @xlilhuddy YOU’RE 2 MILES AWAY FROM THIS PROTEST COME SPEAK UP IF YOU CARE,” the 24-year-old former Vine star captioned a video of himself at a protest.
In another tweet, Taylor referred to the Hype House member as a “top white privileged influencer.”
i don’t CARE judge me it takes all of us… i’m calling him out as a top white privileged influencer… i’m not picking on anybody but i will use my voice
— Taylor Caniff (@taylorcaniff) June 2, 2020
“I don’t CARE judge me it takes all of us,” he wrote. “I’m not picking on anybody, but I will use my voice.”
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