Posting on her Twitter feed on November 15, fashion blogger Zoe Sugg, known online as 'Zoella' apologized to her 11.8 million followers for tweets from several years ago which contained language she says "I wouldn't use now as part of my language and a lot of them were taken out of context."
things now and I’m sorry if I have offended anyone, that was not my intention. Obviously that is not who I am today and I’d like to think I’m a little older and wiser! I’m not perfect and I’ve never claimed to be, I’m only human!
— Zoella (@Zoella) November 15, 2017
Several Twitter posts were uncovered on her Twitter handle using derogatory words to refer to homosexuals and overweight people which she has since deleted after a wave condemnation online.
I find it so funny how zoella has managed to rebrand herself as some kind of sweet, unproblematic saint pic.twitter.com/aiMpGIe7ER
— 🐶🐶🐶 (@LHLX_) November 14, 2017
One of the offending tweets read, "I find it funny when gay men spit…it's like they're trying to be a bit macho but never works."
Saying, "I'm sorry if I have offended anyone," the blogger called herself, "a little older and wiser," but her did not satisfy some of her followers.
@emmaa10611 oh my god idk if these are real or not but Jesus Christ this is next level
— 🌶 (@sach_xo) November 14, 2017
@Zoella You should apologise for these tweets. You were 20 years old so you were in a position to know better. Can't use age as an excuse.
— James (@jxmeselliott) November 14, 2017
This girl needs to come back down to earth.
— Isobel (@bella_blogs) November 14, 2017
What about the transphobic & homophobic tweets you deleted? No apology for them? I was a fan of you until I saw those. I do believe people change but you have not apologised and I’m extremely disappointed.
— Olly (@OllyBrookfield_) November 15, 2017
Others however, came to her defence.
suddenly every youtuber panics and does search history to delete the whole of their 2011 twitter timeline
— dodie (@doddleoddle) November 15, 2017
(because we were ALL uneducated and problematic. It's super unfair to hold the past against someone when it came to the language we all used then!)
You don’t need to explain anything to anyone. I mean I know there’s pressure for you to but anyone who has followed you for even five seconds knows you’ve got a heart of gold. Promise ♥️
— When Caitie met Soda (@caitiemetsoda) November 15, 2017
People love to tear successful people down 💔 if they just focused on putting that energy to do good we'd all live in a better place. 💔
— Olivia Marshall (@Oliviajm99) November 15, 2017
Some of the tweets did not originate from Zoella herself but it is unclear why she allowed them to appear and remain associated with her twitter-handle.
The blogger came to prominence online for launching beauty products in videos posted to her YouTube account.
Ms. Sugg has previously faced criticism for using a ghostwriter produce her book entitled A Girl Online.
