Uh Oh! Noah Cyrus, 20, quickly apologized after using a racially insensitive word (seen in a screenshot below) to defend Harry Styles‘ binary-breaking Vogue cover.
“I am mortified that I used a term without knowing the context and history, but I know now and I am horrified and truly sorry,” the singer wrote in an Instagram Story post on Dec. 3. She added, “I will never use it again. Thank you for educating me.”
Before the apology, Noah had been defending Harry from criticism about his choice to wear a dress and other feminine clothing for the Dec. 2020 issue of Vogue. One of his critics was Conservative commentator Candace Owens, who tweeted in mid-November, “There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men.”
There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence.
It is an outright attack.Bring back manly men. https://t.co/sY4IJF7VkK
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) November 14, 2020
Noah later went on to post one of Harry’s Vogue photos on her Instagram Story and wrote, “He wears this dress better than any of u nappy a– heauxz.” Although it’s unclear if she was referring to Candace’s tweet, the political activist clapped back at Noah in another tweet on Dec. 3. “Any one of the woke liberals care to explain to me how @noahcyrus calling me a ‘nappy a– hoe’ is not racist? I’m all ears. You guys love cancel culture. @MileyCyrus come get your sister!”
Any one of woke liberals care to explain to me how @noahcyrus calling me a “nappy ass hoe” is not racist?
I’m all ears.
You guys love cancel culture. @MileyCyrus come get your sister! https://t.co/N6Ej7UICPW— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) December 3, 2020
The term Candace referred to, used by Noah, has sparked many think pieces about why it’s not an okay word for non-Black people to use given its racial undertones. Noah’s message about Harry also sparked wide backlash across Twitter. “Why does noah cyrus even have nappy in her vocabulary….” one person tweeted, amid other critiques about people who aren’t Black using AAVE language.
Meanwhile, Harry also responded to Candace’s insult about his Vogue cover. The One Direction alum shared a photo of himself in a powder blue suit with ruffles and cheekily wrote, “Bring back manly men,” quoting Candace’s words.