MTV Teen Mom’s Taylor Selfridge has been dropped by the network after her racially insensitive tweets came to light.
Taylor Selfridge of Teen Mom is the latest reality star to be culled from a mega-network in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Selfridge, who has also appeared on MTV’s Are You The One and The Challenge, faced criticism after Twitter users dug up her problematic comments from 2012.
“We have to greet everyone at work but sometimes I won’t greet the Black people because they scare me,” she wrote.
The insensitive tweets didn’t stop there, as Selfridge penned “My uncle is dating an Asian. Aunt Ping please make me sushi.”
MTV announced that it would be canceling Selfridge’s and her boyfriend Cory Wharton’s baby special in light of her remarks.
The episode was to be a self-shot and an hour-long, chronicling the birth of their first child together amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“MTV pulled [the special] . . . and is ending our relationship with Taylor Selfridge in light of her past racist statements on social media,” an MTV spokesperson tells People.
Wharton and Selfridge welcomed their first daughter, Mila Mae, on April 22. Wharton, 29, is also father to 3-year-old daughter Ryder, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Cheyenne Floyd.
Hours before the special aired, he took to Instagram to express his excitement about the episode.
“I know that there’s a lot going on in this country right now, but you guys know me I always try to stay positive,” he wrote.
“In order for things to get better they have to get worse first and I feel like we’re on the right track. But tonight I had the pleasure of shooting a one hour special about the birth of my youngest daughter Mila Mae Wharton.”
In contrast, 26-year-old Selfridge posted a different kind of message to the platform, claiming that she and her family would no longer be filming for a network she had “no respect” for.
“I made the decision last week to not film the next season of Teen Mom OG with Cory for the benefit of myself and my daughter. I don’t believe the reality TV lifestyle benefits me any further at this point in my life,” she shared with her 884,000 followers.
“With current events being what they are and reality tv being selective in who they apply rules to or what is considered acceptable behavior, I do not have any further respect.”
Selfridge was confronted about her remarks last year on Season 8 of Teen Mom. She apologized on the air in a conversation with Wharton’s ex Cheyenne Floyd, stating that at the time, she didn’t see a problem with comments.
“I wasn’t thinking it was anything negative. I thought ‘Oh, this is funny’ or something like that, but it’s not. This happened a long time ago.”
She took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday night to readdress the resurfaced tweets.
“Once again, I apologize for anyone I have hurt or offended in the past. I have addressed my mistakes many times on the network and I would like to move on and continue to be the best version of myself,
“My past does not define who I am today and I hope you guys can see the change. Please respect my decision to provide a normal, healthy life for my family.”
MTV issued a statement to People citing that it “strongly condemns systemic racism and stands with those raising their voices against injustice.”
The spokesperson further went on to state that the Selfridge would no longer be a part of the show as they end their relationship with the reality star.
This week, MTV also severed ties with The Challenge star Dee Nguyen after her offensive and racially insensitive comments.
In a statement issued last week, MTV voiced its support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The statement read: “Enough is enough. #BlackLivesMatter We recognize that changes need to be made on our platforms, at our company, and in the entertainment industry as a whole,
“We’re committed to making progress and addressing systemic inequality.”
