Tulisa responds to Misha B’s X Factor racism claims

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Tulisa Contostavlos has apologised for accusing X Factor contestant Misha B of bullying, but denied her comments were racially motivated.

The singer was responding after Misha B said that X Factor producers foisted an “angry black girl” narrative onto her, during the eighth series in 2011.

The 28-year-old said the experience left her with suicidal thoughts.

“I regret calling her out publicly like I did,” Tulisa said on Instagram, while calling claims of racism “ludicrous”.

Misha B spoke candidly about her experiences on X Factor over the weekend, saying she believed producers and judges had concocted a “bullying” storyline around her appearances.

“They saw an opportunity to tear down a black girl that came from a broken home and worked together to assassinate my character and to sabotage my career by orchestrating lies,” she claimed.

The singer, who eventually came fourth in the competition, also posted a video of judges Louis Walsh and Tulisa dressing her down during the third live show.

Tulisa, who was mentoring eventual winners Little Mix, told Misha: “You being so feisty can come across quite mean.”

She went on to accuse the contestant of making “mean comments” backstage, and advised her to “put aside the attitude”.

“I know that I’m not the only one who has heard those words – feisty, mean,” said Misha in her post. “These are common words people use to describe black women.” She added that she had been diagnosed with PTSD after appearing on the show.