KSI has apologized for his derogatory comments about Pakistanis, and he’s promised to take a social media break following the backlash.
In a tweet posted on Sunday (April 2), the rapper and Misfits Boxing CEO remarked that his faux pas is evidence that he shouldn’t be worshipped.
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“I wanna apologise for saying a racial slur in a recent Sidemen video,” he began. “There’s no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry. I’ve always said to my audience that they shouldn’t worship me or put me on a pedestal because I’m human.”
“I’m not perfect, I’m gonna mess up in life, and lately, I’ve been messing up a lot,” he continued. “So I’ve decided I’m gonna just take a break from social media for a while.”
KSI followed his tweet with a video apology posted to his YouTube channel on Wednesday (April 5), in which he doubled down on his remorse.
“In a recent video, I used a racial term that’s offensive to so, so many, especially in the South Asian community,” he said. “There are no excuses for what I said and I recognize that I’ve caused a lot of hurt and disappointment to so many people that look up to me.
“My ignorance has only reinforced the negative stereotypes that have existed for way too long in this country. I want to express my heartfelt regret for what I said and I want you to know I am genuinely ashamed and deeply sorry for any pain or suffering I have caused.”
He continued: “I realized that my words have consequences and as a public figure, I have a responsibility to use my platform for good rather than perpetuating discrimination. And this week, I have failed to do this.”
KSI’s collective, The Sidemen, also issued a statement of their own denouncing the racial slur, calling it “completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” and remarking that they are “truly sorry and promise to do better.”
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Billboard also reported that on Tuesday (April 4), KSI was seen at the Al-Hikam mosque, presumably to further atone for his remark. “With the intention of malice, even those probably sat on the side, they probably didn’t understand… they might have just been like laughed off,” Imam Muhammed Asim Hussain said, according to the outlet.
