TikTok star Dean Withers apologises for using anti-gay and racist slurs
Social media star Dean Withers. (@itsdeaann/X)
TikTok star Dean Withers, best-known for posting about political issues, has apologised for using anti-gay and racist slurs in the past, with some incidents taking place as recently as 2022.
Withers, who uses his social media to oppose right-wing conservatives and has more than 990,000 followers on TikTok, took to X/Twitter on Sunday (6 October) to respond to posts circulating about him.
He admitted that screenshots, showing he had used the f-slur two years ago and the n-word in 2019, were genuine, and shared a previous Discord response to the posts in which he holds himself accountable.
‘This is something that will continue to haunt me’
“The use of slurs is deplorable, harmful and disgusting, and I am ashamed of my past actions… ashamed of the boy I used to be and this is something that will continue to haunt me.”
Now 20, went on to say that he had apologised to Black, indigenous people of colour and the LGBTQ+ community.
“I would like to personally apologise to all members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Thank you to all of those who are holding me accountable in good faith today, I will never forget my motivation for doing what I do now, and neither should you.”
The post has been liked more than 20,000 times and has attracted some 3,000 comments. Many of the comments came from white supremacists who resorted to trolling Withers’ post with feigned concern.
“Wow, do better. Apologies not accepted. Your hatred for minorities is revolting. As a long-time fan, I am ashamed of this,” one person wrote. Others simply stated “apology not accepted”, or called him a “hypocrite” and one said his “cis-hetero white privilege is showing”.
Last week, Withers hit out at fellow social media star Noah Beck’s former friend, Bryce Hall, who he exposed as a supporter of Donald Trump.
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