Alexi McCammond has apologized multiple times over years-old tweets that were derogatory to Asians, but the controversy over the newly appointed editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue appears nowhere close to quieting down. A major ad campaign with the magazine is now on pause over the issue, the Daily Beast reports: Ulta Beauty says in a statement that "Diversity and inclusion are core values at Ulta Beauty—and always have been. Our current spend with Teen Vogue is paused as we work with [parent company] Condé Nast to evaluate the situation and determine next steps regarding our partnership." And, the Guardian reports, the magazine's former EIC is also speaking out about McCammond.
"Her tweets and the sentiments behind them were racist and abhorrent and indefensible, period," Elaine Welteroth said on CBS' The Talk last week. "And I think at a time like this when there is a call for accountability around anti-Asian sentiment and just racist, violent actions against Asian people, we need to speak up." Sources say McCammond is meeting one-on-one with staffers to apologize, and is planning a virtual roundtable with Asian-American staffers. But some staffers have made clear their displeasure with McCammond's selection, and her immediate predecessor, Lindsay Peoples Wagner, did not want McCammond in the role. (More on the controversy here.)