‘Teen Mom 2’ Alum Jenelle Evans Responds to Backlash for Not Speaking Out Against Racism
Can Jenelle Evans clear a few things up? The Teen Mom 2 alum faced some serious backlash when she decided not to speak out against racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and now she’s clearing the air about where she stands. On Tuesday, June 2, she took to her Instagram Story to assure her followers she’s not racist just because she chose to stay silent.
“I have a lot of people reaching out to me on social media right now about Black Lives Matter. They want to know why I haven’t [spoken] up since I am a social media influencer,” Jenelle, 28, said in a video. “I’m not racist by any means, and I do not condone what that police officer did to George Floyd, and I am very sorry that happened. With this being said, I would like for all the racist comments to stop being sent to my inbox, and I would appreciate if you guys would stop calling me a racist because I haven’t [spoken] out yet.”
The former MTV star told fans not to “judge” her when they don’t know her opinion on the matter. “This is a very touchy subject, and I feel like every time I open my mouth about anything, whether it’s about politics, whether it’s about race, whether it’s about parenting, everyone hates me no matter what I say,” she explained. This time, she decided to sit the conversation out.
However, once fans started to criticize her for sharing her day at the beach rather than using her platform for good, she felt it was time to make her position clear. “I do think it was wrong, and I’m so sorry it happened,” she said. “It shouldn’t have happened, and it’s bulls–t that it did.”
In the past, Jenelle’s husband, David Eason, has also faced allegations of racism, particularly after he posed with the Confederate flag on more than one occasion. The 16 and Pregnant alum has also worn Confederate flag memorabilia, challenging fans to “get mad” after she wore a “Southern Pride” tee. Despite that, she denied her man was hateful in a 2019 interview with Us Weekly. “I think that’s just ridiculous,” she said at the time. “His best friend is black. … And he also has no problem with gay people.”
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