In the list of words some people in the public eye just can’t say, no matter the context, the N-word probably tops the list. By now, nearly everyone understands the potential career consequences of a celebrity uttering that term in public, no matter what their reasons may be. Many fans see the headline, and they couldn’t care less about the context. Yet, for some reasons, celebrities continue to learn that lesson the hard way.
The latest prominent personality to experience this lesson is Bachelorette star Hannah Brown. A former pageant contestant from Alabama, Brown was singing along to a song in which a rapper used the term, and she sang it on camera. The backlash was immediate. Social media users launched on Brown without mercy, even many who did not see the original video of the incident. Would some of them have been mollified if they knew she used the term while singing a song lyric? Maybe, maybe not. The point, from an entertainment Public Relations perspective, is that if a person is in a headline indicating they used that term, they will have suffered consequences. That’s the simple reality of the situation.
In response, Brown publicly apologized on Instagram, saying, “I owe you all a major apology… There is no excuse, and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt I have caused. I own it all. I am terribly sorry, and I know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better.”
Reactions to this apology varied, but one of the most public came from another Bachelorette star, Rachel Lindsay, who is known for being the first black lead on the program. Lindsay said she “did not want to” respond to Brown’s apology, but that she was “personally offended,” adding: “To be honest, I’m so tired of feeling like I have to be the one to say something. It’s easy to make a statement, easy to hide behind words, but when you’re bold enough to say the N-word on camera, on your platform, then you need to be bold enough to use your face on camera and apologize in the same way you said the word… We have to hold people accountable…”
Lindsay responded to people who pointed out that Brown had apologized by saying they should be “disheartened and upset” and that “You should feel disgusted when you say that word…” Lindsay went on to talk about her view of that term in the eight-minute response video, saying at one point, “I don’t care if you are singing along to it in a song. (That word) was used to make people feel inferior and every time you use (it) you give that word power…”
Based on the response to both TV stars, as well as previous responses to similar incidents, opinions on this matter are all over the map. What isn’t up for debate is the career consequences that can happen if a person uses that term in public. As Brown is learning, apologies are often not enough.
Ronn Torossian is the CEO and Founder of 5W Public Relations, a leading digital pr and influencer marketing agency.
