Chinese netizens reject Hadid apology

Chinese netizens have refused to forgive a US model for mimicking the eyes of Asians even after apologizing on Sina Weibo, China’s popular social media platform.

Gigi Hadid, 22, said in an apology letter both in Chinese and English on her Weibo account on September 1 that she has “the utmost respect and love for the people of China.”

“It was never my intent to offend anyone through my actions and I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt...”

Gigi has revealed that she will attend the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai on November 28, the Daily Mail reported on August 29. However, posts over the weekend of her making “slant eyes,” which is regarded by much of the West as an offensive gesture against Asian people in a video on her sister Bella Hadid’s Instagram account in February, sparked protests against Gigi on Chinese social media.

In the video, Gigi was seen making the “slant eyes” look while holding a biscuit in the shape of an Asian man beside her eyes (now the video has been removed).

Many Sina Weibo users demanded that Gigi be banned from the Shanghai Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

“Stay away from China,” some wrote on Gigi’s Weibo account, accusing her of still wanting to make money in China after insulting the Chinese.

They also compared Gigi’s apology on Weibo to her written apology letter at the end of last year for mocking the Eastern European accent of US First Lady Melania Trump at the American Music Awards, saying that her apology this time was comparatively late and lacked sincerity. However, others said that one single action does not define a person and Gigi should be forgiven if she realizes her mistake.

This is not the first time mocking “slant eyes” has put a foreign celebrity in trouble. Argentinian football player Ezequiel Lavezzi, who joined the Hebei China Fortune Football Club in 2016, was also slammed by the Chinese in May as racist for his “slant eyes” photo on Twitter.