Love Island USA star Huda Mustafa is learning (quickly) that actions have consequences. One seriously bad-timed response on her livestream has not only hurt her friend and fellow contestant but also upset the fans, and cost Huda her makeup brand partnership. Looks like her apology was just too little too late.
Love Island USA star Huda Mustafa is facing fallout following her N-word controversy
In case you missed it, Huda recently went on a livestream with her boyfriend Louis Russell. While they were live, they answered a random caller who dropped the n-word, seemingly in reference to fellow Love Island star Olandria Carthan. The pair laughed in surprise and promptly hung up.
To her credit, Huda did try to apologize, but she may have waited too long. The reality star said she just needed to process her thoughts first.
In her apology, Huda said, “I apologize for my immediate reaction. My reaction in the moment came from being caught off guard, not from finding the word or situation funny. I want to be clear that I do not condone or tolerate anyone who uses such language.” She also said she would be making a personal donation to the NAACP.
There was perhaps a bit of damage control to her public statement, but it looks like the damage had already been done. Huda Beauty, the makeup brand helmed by Huda Kattan, dropped a statement saying that, despite not believing that the Love Island star’s actions reflect her true character, they were still upset about what happened.
The brand said they took racism seriously, and members of their community and team were hurt by what happened. With that in mind, they chose accountability and decided to end their partnership with Huda. They’ve scrubbed any related content from their socials and in-store marketing.
This just goes to show that action (or inaction) and jokes can have swift real world consequences. As other Love Island contestants have learned, it’s always important to watch what you say and how you act around racism and derogatory language.
Love Island USA is available to stream on Peacock.
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