YouTuber KSI apologises for using transphobic slur: ‘I didn’t know that was a bad word’
KSI poses during a portrait session at the KISS Haunted House Party 2020 at Under The Bridge on 30 October 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Bauer Media)
YouTuber KSI has apologised for his past use of a transphobic slur, insisting he didn’t know it was a “bad word”.
Fans had called out KSI for misgendering someone in one of his videos with YouTube group The Sidemen and for using a transphobic slur.
The rapper, real name Olajide ‘JJ’ Olatunji, initially responded to criticism on Tuesday (9 March) by tweeting: “Hold up, people actually think I’m transphobic?”
When a fan explained the allegations against him, KSI said he “just said the person had a better beard than me”. He added: “And I honestly didn’t even know that tranny was a bad word.”
Hold up, people actually think I’m transphobic?
— ksi (@KSI) March 9, 2021
Didn’t even mean is midgender lol. Just said that the person had a better beard than me, that’s all. And I honestly didn’t even know that tranny was a bad word. What’s the correct term to use?— ksi (@KSI) March 9, 2021
After he was corrected and told never to use the slur again, KSI apologised against, tweeting: “My bad for saying transgender slurs. Honestly didn’t even know they were slurs. I know now though.”
My bad for saying transgender slurs. Honestly didn’t even know they were slurs. I know now though— ksi (@KSI) March 9, 2021
KSI has a strong presence on YouTube with his main channel garnering over 12.2 million subscribers. He has created music videos, reacted to funny clips online and vlogs about his life. KSI is also well known for his boxing career and fights against fellow YouTuber Logan Paul.
However, someone in the comments pointed out that after KSI was informed about his use of a transphobic slur, he then “proceeded to say it” again, in his earlier tweet.
https://twitter.com/bootwtt/status/1369226189970300928
After the criticism he received because of the tweets, KSI released another statement on Twitter. He called on people to promote “positive vibes” and “stop with the hate” “on all sides”, “including people who support me”.
“Life’s too short to be angry and hateful towards other people,” KSI tweeted. “Only way we advance is with positivity.”
KSI was recently suspended from YouTube for a week due to a clip used in one of his ‘try not to laugh’ challenge videos. He explained that the video had “child endangerment” in it, which he thought is a “new thing in the YouTube TOS [Terms of Service]”. But he admitted he “crossed that line”.
