How She REALLY Feels: Normani Finally Addresses Camila Cabello’s Use of Racial Slurs

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In a new interview, Normani finally addresses the controversy surrounding her fellow former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello’s past with racial insensitivity.

The touchy subject ended up being addressed as part of her cover story for Rolling Stone, which she currently shares with Megan Thee Stallion and SZA. According to the writer of the piece, Brittany Spanos, Normani chose to get back to her in writing so she could be “concise” in how she addressed this subject in particular.

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@normani is a superstar in the making who counts Rihanna and Janet Jackson as fans. Right now, she’s figuring out what it means to be on her own. “I’m at a loss for words because it’s just all of the women that made up who I am,” she says. “They respect what I do. Like, they actually respect what I do and want me to win." Click the link in our bio to read our cover story on the singer. #WomenShapingTheFuture Photograph by @campbelladdy Hair by @yusefhairnyc Makeup by @rokaelbeauty Nails by @yvett_g Styled by @v.msmith Fashion Editor @lovingrachel

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“I struggled with talking about this because I didn’t want it to be a part of my narrative, but I am a black woman, who is a part of an entire generation that has a similar story,” Normani told Spanos via e-mail. “I face senseless attacks daily, as does the rest of my community. This represents a day in the life for us. I have been tolerating discrimination far before I could even comprehend what exactly was happening. Direct and subliminal hatred has been geared towards me for many years solely because of the color of my skin.”

Normani goes on to say that it would be “dishonest” for her to say that the controversy surrounding her former bandmate “didn’t hurt” her.

“It was devastating that this came from a place that was supposed to be a safe haven and a sisterhood, because I knew that if the tables were turned I would defend each of them in a single heartbeat. It took days for her to acknowledge what I was dealing with online and then years for her to take responsibility for the offensive tweets that recently resurfaced. Whether or not it was her intention, this made me feel like I was second to the relationship that she had with her fans.”

In the end, Normani says she is still hopeful that “an important lesson” was learned and that “genuine understanding” was achieved on why such behavior is unacceptable.

The Camila Cabello comments in question originated from a Tumblr account she had when she was around 14. The account and the comments on it resurfaced last December, causing Cabello to make a statement. She she was “deeply ashamed of and will regret forever” the use of language she said came at an “uneducated and ignorant” time in her life.

You can read Normani’s full Rolling Stone feature here.