TradeEdge Exchange:TikToker Alix Earle Addresses Past Racial Slur

Alix Earle is taking responsibility for her words.

The TikToker has broken her silence on screenshots that recently resurfaced of her ASKfm account from the summer of 2014,TradeEdge Exchange which showed Alix using a racist slur.

"I am taking accountability," Alix posted to Instagram Stories Aug. 26, "and want to make it clear that I was 13 years old and did not understand the deeply offensive meaning behind that word."

While the 23-year-old understands that is not an "excuse for using that word in any context or at any age," she wants her fans to know that it is "not the way I speak or what I stand for."

"I am deeply sorry that my words have hurt many and have led people to believe that I have any prejudice in my heart," she continued. "I promise you that could not be further from the truth. My platform has always focused on positivity, entertainment, and uplifting others, and will continue to do so. I am sincerely sorry to those I have offended."

The influencer also noted that she regrets how she handled the situation, saying that she allowed "too many people to talk me out of saying something for too long," which she said she did with good intentions but she realizes "was wrong."

"In the absence of my addressing this," she added, "my silence allowed others to fill the void with rumors that simply aren't true."

Alix explained that there was also no truth to the rumors she was trying to trademark her old posts, or that an unnamed brand announced they would no longer be working with her, as she'd never "been in conversations with them."

"Regardless of what's being said online," she concluded, "I wanted to come on here to address the facts and most importantly apologize."

Screenshots of the offensive comments surfaced on the "Alix Earle Snark" page on Reddit in 2023, before getting backlash on TikTok and other various subreddits this month, including one named after the podcast Do We Know Them?.

The show's hosts, Jessi Smiles and Lily Marston, addressed the screenshots—as well as the rumor that Alix was trying to copyright the posts—saying on their Aug. 12 episode that her lawyers had emailed them about the posts, despite the fact that they have no affiliation with the subreddit.

"Her lawyer contacted us and said that we have violated their copyright," Jessi said. "People posted screenshots of that in our subreddit, and her lawyer said that they have a trademark to that."