July 11, 2014
Vine Superstar Apologizes for Anti-Gay Vine (Again), Kisses Male Fan
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Social media super star and Internet celebrity Nash Grier came under fire after a Vine surfaced that showed the teen using the word "fag" and implying that only HIV impacts gay men. Though he apologized before the media picked up on the clip, he's apologized again this week, and in what may be an attempt to prove he isn't homophobic, allowed himself to photographed while kissing a male fan.
"In April of 2013, I made a vine video using a gay slur," Grier, 16, tweeted on June 9. "I made a stupid and ignorant mistake which there is no excuse for."
He adds: "Soon after I posted the video I started to realize how hurtful and wrong the video was and I deleted it. This clip was bullying. It's awful. To anyone I offended I want you to know that I am truly sorry. My goal is to educate myself and do something positive with what I learn. Again to anyone I offended, I am so, so sorry."
In a possible effort to prove that he isn't anti-gay, there is currently a Snapchat pic going around the web, showing Grier kissing a male fan, who Towleroad identifies as gay.
The fan posted the picture to his Tumblr and wrote: "To all the people complaining about Nash being a homophobic who's against gays; He willingly kissed a boy just for a snapchat story on top of apologizing twice."
Grier, who has more followers than anyone else on the popular social media app Vine (he has 8.7 million), came under fire this week for an anti-gay video that he later deleted.
In the clip, he filmed what appears to be a PSA for HIV, where a group of men say HIV doesn't just impact gay men. The video then cuts to Grier, who yells, "YES IT DOES! FAG!"
A number of Twitter users called Grier out, slamming him for his offensive rhetoric and it looks like the negative attention has gotten to the teen e-star.
"I'm taking a few days off social media to focus on everything surrounding me ATM. I'll be traveling to Alaska Sunday, expect new vids soon!" he tweeted Thursday.
Watch the controversial clip below:
