A social media influencer has apologised after a series of racist tweets she wrote 10 years ago resurfaced.
Elle Darby, 26, had written a series of ‘shameful’ messages when she was a teenager, using racial slurs and insulting several ethnic groups.
Mother-of-one Ms Darby, who has 770,000 Instagram followers, had called foreigners ‘meatheads’ who ‘speak in grunts’, and said she ‘hates Polish people and Indians really’ on an old Twitter account, which has since been deleted.
Ms Darby, who uploads family vlogs and lifestyle videos, has now apologised and said she feels ashamed of her historic posts, adding that she wants to ‘take responsibility’ for her actions.
In one of the resurfaced tweets, originally posted in 2011, she wrote: ‘Why do foreign people follow me? I don’t speak your grunts, meatheads.’
She also posted: ‘I really miss my laptop. Wish that effin charger from HK (Hong Kong) would hurry up. Come on ch***s, you’re upsetting me.’
Ms Darby also wrote: ‘This bus is sweaty and stinks of Indians.’
She had also said that she prefers her ‘pretty four labrador retrievers to my ugly, spiteful, mongrel cat. That b***h can go back to the RSPCA.’
Elle Darby, 26, had written a series of ‘shameful’ messages when she was a teenager, using racial slurs and insulting several ethnic groups
Mother-of-one Ms Darby, who has 770,000 Instagram followers, had called foreigners ‘meatheads’ who ‘speak in grunts’, and said she ‘hates Polish people and Indians really’ on an old Twitter account, which has since been deleted
Fans also said that old accounts belonging to her fiancé and fellow influencer Connor Swift contained similar racist words.
One screenshot posted online appeared to show him tweeting: ‘Looked like a black man after work, through all the dust I collected. #StillLookedhot.’
The couple have now apologised, writing just before the new year: ‘Christmas and New Year are traditionally a time for reflection and as such we decided to take some time to look through both of our histories on social.
‘We are ashamed to admit that we did not like what we found.
‘The both of us were shocked, surprised and devastated by some of the language used in our very old tweets in particular over a decade ago.
‘We feel that we all have a responsibility for our own mistakes and to try and take responsibility for our actions, especially the ones that don’t paint us in the best light.
‘These comments are not a reflection of who either of us are as grown adults, nor who we were at the time they were made, and do not align with what we stand for.
‘We are beyond angry at ourselves and ashamed that our behaviour will have been hurtful to some of you who have supported our family for so long.
‘We can only wish for your forgiveness.’
Ms Darby, who uploads family vlogs and lifestyle videos, has now apologised and said she feels ashamed of her historic posts, adding that she wants to ‘take responsibility’ for her actions
Ms Darby, who uploads family vlogs and lifestyle videos, has now apologised and said she feels ashamed of her historic posts, adding that she wants to ‘take responsibility’ for her actions’
Some social media users expressed anger over the comments and were sceptical about the apology
Some social media users expressed anger over the comments and were sceptical about the apology.
One user wrote: ‘I’m not sure why @elledarby claims she did her own reflecting and looked through her own socials. You were caught out and never would have owned up otherwise.’
A second said: ‘Woke up in 2022 to find out Elle Darby is a racist happy new year.’
Another wrote: ‘The recent news on Elle Darby should be a lesson to every single one of us that glorifying and idolising ”influencers” is so beyond ridiculous, I don’t even have words. I get it assuming the worse is beyond draining, but you don’t know these people or their true intentions.’
One tweet, which has more than 1,300 likes, posts screenshots of the historic comments.
The author, Mollie Ben, writes: ‘Elle Darby and Connor Swift are presented as a couple online to look up to as ‘goals’ but their views and language are inexcusable. How do they have the following they have? Shame on the brands working with them #BLM.’
MailOnline has contacted Ms Darby’s management, Gleam Futures, for comment.