Alexi McCammond has parted ways with Teen Vogue.
McCammond was the editor-and-chief of the magazine for less than a month before calls for her resignation ignited due to racist tweets from her past. On Thursday, she posted her reasoning for leaving the brand on Twitter, per The New York Times.
“I became a journalist to help lift the stories and voices of our most vulnerable communities,” per the statement. “My past tweets have overshadowed the work I’ve done to highlight the people and issues that I care about.”
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Many Teen Vogue supporters called for the 27-year-old’s resignation after it was revealed she lambasted Asians and made homophobic comments on Twitter when she was a teenager. And even sponsors such as Ulta Beauty and Burt’s Bees suspended campaigns with the magazine over the resurfaced tweets.
The former political reporter for Axios added, “I wish the talented team at Teen Vogue the absolute best moving forward.”
“After speaking with Alexi this morning, we agreed that it was best to part ways, so as to not overshadow the important work happening at Teen Vogue,” said Stan Duncan, the chief people officer at Condé Nast, in a email.
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As previously reported by theGrio, McCammond apologized for the tweets but said she would not step down. But in recent weeks hate crimes against Asians in the country have surged, putting additional pressure on the brand to take action.
“I’m so sorry to have used such hurtful and inexcusable language,” Alexi McCammond said in a lengthy statement linked to her Twitter page. “At any point in my life, it’s totally unacceptable.”
Several staffers of Teen Vogue posted a collective statement about McCammond’s tweets, saying that they are hopeful “an internal conversation will prove fruitful in maintaining the integrity granted to us by our audience.”
She made it clear that she understood their concerns.
“I hear that you’re hurt, angry, confused and skeptical of how we move on from here. I probably would be too if I were you,” McCammond wrote, addressing who she called the Teen Vogue “community, staff, readers, writers, photographers, content creators and friends.”
“Those tweets aren’t who I am, but I understand that I have lost some of your trust,” said McCammond, “and will work doubly hard to earn it back. I want you to know I am committed to amplifying AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) voices across our platforms, and building upon the groundbreaking, inclusive work this title is known for the world over.”
Condé Nast has thus far stood by McCammond’s hiring and is not planning to fire her. The company said it chose the former political reporter for the top job at Teen Vogue because of the “values, inclusivity and depth she has displayed through her journalism.”
“Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to being a champion for marginalized voices,” the Condé Nast statement said. “Two years ago she took responsibility for her social media history and apologized.”
McCammond tweeted comments like “currently googling how to not wake up with swollen, Asian eyes” and another in which she called a college teaching assistant a “stupid Asian.”
Additional reporting by Biba Adams
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