Arrietty has issued her “sincerest apologies” to Irene the Alien and “the wider LGBTQIA+ community” following controversial comments made earlier this week.
The Drag Race season 17 alum hit back at Irene over X/Twitter after the All Stars 10 star, who is her former drag mother, insinuated that there was a breakdown in her relationship at a Roscoe’s screening. When asked if she helped Arrietty with her runway package, Irene simply replied, “No comment.”
As speculation about their relationship began circulating online, Mistress Isabelle Brooks pressed Irene for more details on her show Mistress Mondays. Irene claimed they were no longer in each other’s lives due to an issue involving either “money,” “character,” or a “man”.
Arrietty responded with a series of tweets, alleging that their fallout was over money and accusing Irene of “racist shit” and of engaging in sexual activity with “prepubescent children.”
Her accusations sparked immediate backlash from fans, particularly given the harmful and false rhetoric often used by far-right groups to portray LGBTQIA+ people as a danger to children.
In a social media post on 22 May, Arrietty told her followers that she and Irene decided a public statement was “necessary” for her to take “full responsibility” of the aforementioned accusations.
She said “anger and weakness” clouded her judgement, and that she “deeply regrets” causing harm to both Irene and the LGBTQIA+ community.
“While they were intended as exaggerations, I now understand that they were not only inappropriate, but also deeply hurtful and unnecessary. I am truly sorry for any pain or discomfort my words may have caused,” wrote Arrietty.
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“I hope everyone can understand the very human instinct to defend oneself, and perhaps even relate to the experience of making mistakes in emotionally charged moments.”
She went on to reference the season 17 roast, where she controversially stole the jokes of her co-star Jewels Sparkles: “I had hoped I’d grown from that experience, but clearly, I still have work to do. In this recent situation, I momentarily lost sight of that growth.
“I recognise that I have a tendency to react emotionally, and I want to be transparent in sharing that I am actively seeking support through talk therapy and anger management. I am commitment to learning better tools for handling difficult situations with grace and care.”
In light of the escalating attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, many of which have been emboldened by the political climate surrounding the Trump era, Arrietty stressed the need for queer people to “show up for one another with respect and compassion”.
She concluded: “I take full accountability for my actions, and I am committed to doing better. Thank you for reading, and for holding me accountable. Sincerely and with humility, Arrietty.”
As of writing, Irene is yet to publicly address the situation.
You can read Arrietty’s full statement below.
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