Oops, you guys, Hannah Brown’s bad.
Hannah Brown’s major, major, MAJOR bad, we should say.
The former Bachelorette is in scalding hot water right now after dropping the N-Word on Saturday night in an Instagram Live video.
The footage featured Brown trying to remember the lyrics to DaBaby’s “Rockstar.”
At one point, she starts singing a few lines aloud … and seemingly hesitates when she gets to the line that includes the most insensitive, cruel and inappropriate racial epithet of them all.
But then she says it anyway.
Brown, who has been a social media sensation throughout the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and her related quarantine, appears to be unaware she did anything wrong in the video.
She goes on about her business as if she had not just uttered a slur on Instagram Live to 2.8 million followers.
While the Instagram Live video has since expired or taken down from her account, accounts such as @bachelorteaspill and various Reddit users have since captured clips of Brown.
Nothing is ever really gone from the Internet, you know?
According to @bachelorteaspill’s clips, after an awkward moment, Brown acts as if she notices comments on her Instagram Live that are calling her out for using the word.
And that’s when she begins to address the controversy.
“I did?
“I’m so sorry… No, I was singing… I’m so sorry… I don’t think… Maybe I did, maybe it was Patrick [Brown’s brother]. Um, anyway,” Brown says, while laughing.
“I really don’t think I said that word, I don’t think I said that word, but now I’m like, oh god,” Brown said, as she continued to address the issue. “I’d never use that word. I’ve never called anybody that.”
As the backlash intensified online, the Dancing With the Stars winner later doubled down on her claim that saying that word was an honest mistake, but she also apologized for using it.
“Look, people are going to want to think whatever they want to think of me, get mad at me, whatever,” she said.
“And even if I did accidentally say it, I’m very sorry, I was singing a song and not even thinking.”
Among those especially critical of Brown?
Former Bachelor suitor Bekah Martinez, who attacked Hannah as follows:
You can’t say the N-word just because black people say it. Black people reclaimed the use of a word that was used for centuries to oppress and dehumanize them.
It’s a word that holds so much historical weight that the black community is still healing from and parts of the white community are still weaponizing for dehumanization, particularly in the south. so no, it’s not cool to just sing it along the lyrics of a song especially not on your platform with millions of followers?!!
It’s 2020. at least make a legitimate apology and acknowledge your behavior.
Martinez wasn’t finished, either.
She clappeed back at fans who defend celebrities “with access to SOOO much privilege, knowledge and education” saying the N-word.
“Even if it’s ‘just the lyrics to a song’ … especially when that person had the wherewithal to skip over the F-word lyric first,” Martinez continued.
“We’ve got to hold people accountable to do better otherwise we’re continuing to prioritize the feelings of white people (and someone we ‘stan’) over ending our country’s loooong history of casual racism and flippant anti-blackness.”
Following Martinez’s comments, along with many other negative remarks, Brown returned to Instagram on Sunday and addressed the scandal head-on.
“I owe you all a major apology,” she said.
“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 know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better.”
Brown has been self-isolating in Alabama since April after quarantining with her ex-boyfriend Tyler Cameron and their friends in Florida for weeks.
She’s often got into a bit of trouble for so often speaking her mind, but this is an entirely different level of criticism, of course.
Will it forever tarnish her reputation?
We’ll need to stay tuned in order to find out, Bachelor Nation.