tiktok.com/@chefway
Waymond Wesley, a Houston-based TikTok chef and Harris County assistant district attorney, is under fire for past tweets in 2015 and 2016, where he disparaged the appearance of Black women.
Wesley, known by his 250,000 TikTok followers as Chef Way, has garnered buzz for inventive concoctions like oxtail pasta, which went viral on Twitter in January. As it did, though, commenters brought to light his old tweets on a now-deleted account called @WaymoTheGod.
In a thread of screenshots shared by Twitter user @FromAerin, Wesley lambasted Black women in various photos for "being too black," wearing weaves (which he equated to "lies"), having stretch marks, and breastfeeding in public.
In a screenshot of another tweet, Wesley wrote, "If Black lives mattered to Sandra Bland, she wouldn't have taken her own life. I'm serious, too."
On Sunday, Wesley apologized for the past tweets and claimed that he is now a changed man — all thanks to discovering his love for the culinary arts?
"That was a moment in my life where I was sick in more ways than one," he tweeted. "Cooking saved me. You have watched a flawed man heal. I will continue to heal and learn."
But several of the influencer's brand partners, including smart kitchen company Anova Culinary and video platform Tastemade, opted to cut ties. Tastemade tweeted that it was "shocked and disappointed to see this past behavior coming from a partner creator," concluding that they've ceased their working relationship with him.
But Wesley did receive support from his employer at the DA's office.
Per local affiliate ABC 13, Harris County district attorney Kim Ogg wrote in a statement that "these posts came during a period in which he was struggling with serious personal issues, including alcohol addiction." Wesley had subsequently sought treatment and worked with the State Bar of Texas to resolve his issues, Ogg said.
"I am a believer in second chances," she added. "Mr. Wesley has conducted himself professionally since joining our staff."
Still, Ogg's response hasn't quelled the controversy. ABC 13 reports that civil rights groups plan to hold a demonstration in front of the DA's office on Friday to call for Wesley's termination.
Wesley did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
