Teen Vogue’s newly appointed editor in chief isn’t slated to start until March 24, but she has already issued two apologies this week and has drawn the ire of her soon-to-be staff, advertisers and celebrities.
Alexi McCammond, who was a political reporter at Axios before being appointed to lead the CondĂ© Nast-owned progressive magazine last week, tweeted a lengthy apology on Wednesday addressing concerns over racist, anti-Asian tweets she sent in 2011 and 2012. The apology follows one that she issued Monday over the same controversy. McCammond’s hiring came amid a rise of attacks against Asians and Asian Americans and sparked outrage internally and externally to Teen Vogue.
“This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life, in large part because of the intense pain I know my words and my announcement have caused so many of you,” McCammond wrote on Twitter and Instagram. “I am so sorry to have used such hurtful and inexcusable language. At any point in my life, it’s totally unacceptable. I hear that you’re hurt, angry, confused, and skeptical of how we move on from here. I probably would be too if I were you.”
At the heart of the debate is a series of tweets McCammond posted when she was a college student in which she mocked the appearance of Asian eyes and expressed resentment over bad marks on an assignment given by an Asian teacher.
McCammond apologized for the tweets before, when they surfaced in 2019 while still employed at Axios. The tweets resurfaced again over the weekend after CondĂ© Nast announced her hiring on Friday. On Monday, a group of more than 20 Teen Vogue staff members sent a letter to management expressing concerns about McCammond’s past tweets.
Then on Wednesday, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) weighed in with a statement that called on CondĂ© Nast “to ensure its commitment to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and employees.” AAJA said they spoke with McCammond and CondĂ© Nast’s chief diversity officer on Wednesday and “look forward to continuing our dialogue.”
The controversy has also caught the attention of at least one major advertiser. Ulta Beauty has paused an ad campaign with Teen Vogue, The Daily Beast first reported.
“We can confirm our spend with Teen Vogue is currently paused as we work with Conde Nast to determine next steps regarding our partnership,” Eileen Ziesemer, vice president of public relations at Ulta Beauty, said in a statement to CNN Business.
Condé Nast declined to comment.
Actress Olivia Munn has also spoken out about the controversy, first commenting on an Instagram post on Sunday that brought renewed attention to McCammond’s past tweets. She also retweeted the statement shared by Teen Vogue staffers on Monday, questioning the decision to hire the 27-year-old McCammond.
In an interview with NBC News Now on Wednesday, Munn said McCammond’s age at the time should be considered.
“We’ve all said silly things,” Munn said. “There’s a lot we have to give her some grace on, but those comments are hard to read.”
Munn also said McCammond’s apology wasn’t enough. Her interview on NBC News Now aired before McCammond’s lengthier statement Wednesday evening.
“I think it’s important for people to hear her say that these were racist comments and there’s nothing excusable about,” Munn said. “It would just be nice for her to just say exactly what it is. Call it what it is… it was a racist stupid remark”
McCammond did further acknowledge the “hurtful and inexcusable language” of her past tweet in her Wednesday statement. She also wrote that she is creating a “comprehensive plan about Teen Vogue’s editorial commitment to uplifting and reflecting the true complexities and beauties of the AAPI community,” using the acronym for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Anna Wintour, who was recently promoted to chief content officer for CondĂ© Nast and global editorial director of Vogue, has already had to deal with a fair share of accusations of bias and racism at the company she helps run. She admitted to her staff in a memoover the the summer that the magazine she has famously led for years was “hurtful or intolerant” to Black creators. The note came after Adam Rapoport, former editor in chief of the CondĂ© Nast-owned Bon AppĂ©tit, apologized and resigned last year over accusations of bias and a discriminatory culture at the food magazine.
CondĂ© Nast shared a statement on Monday when the controversy first started to brew, pointing to McCammond’s apology for these tweets in 2019, when they first resurfaced.
“Alexi McCammond was appointed editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue because of the values, inclusivity and depth she has displayed through her journalism,” CondĂ© Nast Chief Communications Officer Joe Libonati said. “Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to being a champion for marginalizing voices. Two years ago she took responsibility for her social media history and apologized.”