Size 22 Model Tess Holliday Apologizes for 'Black Men Love Me' Comment
Tess Holliday is clearing the air after a plus-size controversy.
It all started when the size 22 model received some heat after she told The Guardian in a recent interview that she's a hit with African American men. "I do admit that black men love me," she said. "I always forget that, and then I come to a black neighborhood and I remember."
For many, though, the 29-year-old's remarks were perceived as racist, so on Tuesday, she took to Facebook and apologized for any misunderstanding.
Tess Holliday is a literal bag of racist human trash
— Denim Chicken (@lipstickdresses) June 10, 2015"Firstly, I apologize for any hurt that my flippant comment has caused," she wrote. "I'll try to provide some context which hopefully will change the way in which it is being viewed, but I have to also accept that being followed and quoted is something new for me and I am going to occasionally say or do things that make people unhappy. For that I am sorry, your opinions are important to me."
NEWS: Everything You Need to Know About Tess Holliday
recent interview from The Guardian has upset some people, and I thought I needed to address it publicly to try and clear...
Posted by Tess Holliday on Monday, June 8, 2015
She then explained what happened during the interview.
"The incident in question occurred when I was on the street, feeling rather exposed in my underwear for the shoot, and an older black man cat called me as I was walking behind the team," she continued. "I replayed the incident to the team once we were set up for the next shot, and jokingly said some semblance of what appeared in print. It was in relation to being cat called by black men significantly more than by white, but perhaps my tone and wording didn't convey this clearly. It was also meant to play into the idea that black men like bigger women, but the humor of that doesn't come through. To further add context, the team included two talented black women - so it was clearly not something intended to cause offence."
Holliday has received a lot of attention lately as she's the first model of her size signed to a major modeling contract.
PHOTOS: Size 22 Model Tess Holliday: 'I AM Fat, So It's Silly To Get Mad About'
"I am not a perfect human being, I am still growing and learning, and the title of 'role model' is not one that I have chosen - it was thrust onto me, despite my reluctance," she noted in her post. "I am doing my best to live up to what that means, but at times I will slip up. I don't speak for everyone, but I will continue to try my best to speak UP for everyone."
Holliday has also been vocal about how the word "fat" doesn't bother her, and she wants everyone to know that she's not mad about it being applied to her.
"The reality is I am fat. It's a word. It's an adjective," she explained in a profile byBuzzfeed News in May. "And I don't care."
Check out the video below to see how Holliday showed off her body on People's cover.
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