Incoming Teen Vogue editor Alexi McCammond apologizes again for anti-Asian tweets

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New York (CNN Business)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 Condé 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 Condé 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 Condé Nast "to ensure its commitment to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and employees." AAJA said they spoke with McCammond and Condé 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.


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