nikita-dragun-vmas-backlash

Nikita Dragun/YouTube

Nikita Dragun accused of blackfishing amid baffling tweet about race

Many fans didn't think her joke was funny.

 

Cecilia Lenzen

IRL

Posted on Oct 5, 2020   Updated on Oct 5, 2020, 3:14 pm CDT

Nikita Dragun is under fire for blackfishing and racially insensitive tweets.

The YouTuber, makeup guru, and model, who claims to be Asian- and Mexican-American, was attacked by multiple Twitter users who claimed Dragun was attempting to gain attention by making light of sensitive issues like racism. 

Sunday evening, Dragun tweeted, “What race is Nikita gonna be today?” 

https://twitter.com/NikitaDragun/status/1312880891421626368

Although the tweet seemed like it was supposed to be funny—maybe it was a meta-commentary on her biracial background—many Twitter users weren’t laughing. 

https://twitter.com/redputationaotd/status/1312885367285178369
https://twitter.com/ExtendoBans/status/1313044047536291842

Dragun refused to apologize though, defending her “joke” with a follow-up tweet: “i know it’s a joke to comment on my race but i’m really tired of having to defend myself on every post. ‘she’s hispanic today’ i’m hispanic everyday. my mom is mexican. my dad is asian. i’m mixed. the end. bye.”

Her justification seemed to fall on deaf ears. Many users called Dragun out, asking her why she seems to always try to look Black on her social media. 

http://www.instagram.com/p/CFIFne9FYIS/

One user tweeted, “then explain why you always look black. quickly.” 

https://twitter.com/currytingz/status/1312923765060370432
https://twitter.com/enctrI/status/1312884869375184899
https://twitter.com/INFINlTUM/status/1312914795323154435

In yet another tweet within the same hour as the first, Dragun stated, “growing up mixed i was never enough or fully accepted. i don’t have to pick a side. i am not incomplete of my races. i do not lack anything. i am proud of ALL of me.”

However, her fans don’t want her to “pick a side,” they want her to stop blackfishing and take accountability for her racially insensitive comments. 

https://twitter.com/gqriggss/status/1312890363624009729
https://twitter.com/madgayho/status/1312893699890831367

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*First Published: Oct 5, 2020, 3:11 pm CDT