Teen Vogue’s new editor resigns over past anti-Asian and homophobic tweets
Condé Nast has parted ways with the newly appointed editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Alexi McCammond, after anti-Asian and homophobic tweets she posted a decade ago resurfaced earlier this month.
Condé Nast, which publishes Teen Vogue, announced the move on Thursday.
“After speaking with Alexi this morning, we agreed that it was best to part ways, so as to not overshadow the important work happening at Teen Vogue,” a company spokesperson wrote in an internal email seen by the Guardian.
“It’s fair to say that Alexi McCammond’s appointment with Teen Vogue brought many difficult and important conversations to the forefront over the last few weeks.
“Our most important work as a company right now is embodied in the focused efforts we are all undertaking to become more equitable and inclusive.
Our commitment to these issues is sincere and unwavering,” it added.
The tweets had prompted 20 current members of the magazine’s editorial staff to write a letter to Condé Nast questioning McCammond’s appointment at a time when anti-Asian hate crime was on the rise. During the pandemic, 3,800 incidents of hate crime were reported.
In a statement on Twitter, McCammond, 27, said her “past tweets have overshadowed the work I’ve done to highlight the people and issues that I care about … and so Condé Nast and I have decided to part ways.”
“I should not have tweeted what I did and I have taken full responsibility for that,” she wrote. “I look at my work and growth in the years since, and have redoubled my commitment to growing in the years to come as both a person and as a professional.”
McCammond, who was due to start work at Teen Vogue next week, was previously a reporter for politics website Axios.
Jim VandeHei, the Axios co-founder replied to McCammond’s exit tweet, writing: “You will always be a part of the Axios family. Alexi admitted her mistakes, repented (years ago and again of late) and showed during her four years with us she was a strong woman with a big heart. She was a great colleague who often stood up for others. Sad outcome @teenvogue.”
Following the announcement, Diane Tsui, one of the first journalists to report on the tweets, wrote: “I’m glad we spoke up and I’m glad Alexi took full accountability for her actions.”