Drag Race UK’s A’Whora calls out ‘abuse’ amid bitter backlash over shady Veronica Green jibes
A’Whora weathered fierce criticism for comments made about Veronica Green. (Screen captures via YouTube/Twitter)
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star A’Whora has called out the “abuse” she has faced amid a bitter backlash against her shady remarks about Veronica Green.
A’Whora, who competed alongside Green on the British spin-off’s second season before she left due to contracting coronavirus, was filmed playing Snog, Marry, Kill when she made incendiary comments about Green, who has since rejoined Drag Race for its third season.
“She’s annoying, she’s a little c**t backstage and also she gets kicked out early on season three, so why not f**k her off again?” she said during a question and answers session.
A’Whora added that she would snog Asttina Mandella, marry Bimini Bon Boulash and then kill Veronica.
But her comments about Green ignited a firestorm of criticism, prompting her to apologise in a lengthy statement shared to Twitter Monday (27 September).
https://twitter.com/awhoraofficial/status/1442520712585965570?s=20
But as her detractors continued to tear through her mentions, A’Whora issued a second statement Tuesday, pleading for Twitter users to dial down the “abuse”.
“I fully take ownership of my wrong, and write public apologies because if I don’t I then receive even more hate/abuse for not speaking,” she tweeted.
“But when I do speak, you tell me to shut up and humiliate me with mental health and tear me down as a person for making a mistake!”
https://twitter.com/awhoraofficial/status/1442824100234342412
A’Whora, who has long been upfront about the online abuse she faces from trolls, then took aim at her critics who “magnified every fault” with her image, personality and craft.
“It’s very hypocritical when I’m accepting to do better and working on myself in doing so,” she rallied.
“I’m not, nor will play the victim, but we are all human and have all said things we regret and want to learn from, the only difference is that yours doesn’t go public and have hundreds/thousands of opinions, comments and messages attacking and threatening you for doing so!”
The 25-year-old capped off her statement by stressing that she is “sorry” and she simply leaned into her character as a “TV villain”.
“But drag,” she added, “is not this serious.”
Among her critics, some had called for World of wonder, the production company behind Drag Race, to sue her for allegedly leaking spoilers. Others called her the “same mean girl from season two”.
In her initial apology, A’Whora said she was drunk during the Q&A.
Her comments were meant to come across as more lighthearted, she stressed.
“Nothing I said was meant in malice, harm or to try and damage someone’s character,” she wrote. “I take full responsibility for what I said and in how the nature of us was perceived. I am not proud of this.
“In this situation, I had gotten drunk with the girls and being playful in my Q&A section but this is still no excuse.”
