The Taylor Swift backing dancer who was fired from the singer’s tour after posting sexist and generally fairly grubby memes on social media has finally addressed the controversy, making a lengthy apology in an Instagram post.
Dancer Toshi was originally hired for Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour four years ago, and the two had worked together ever since, reportedly becoming close friends, but he was let go after the Daily Mail published various screenshots from his posts.
One post mocked the Australian women’s soccer team, telling them to get “back to the kitchen”, and another featured a blanket, a van, a bottle of chloroform and a forest along with the caption “every girl’s weakness.”
Taylor, who tries to promote themes of feminism and empowerment, was clearly in an awkward spot. “She simply cannot endorse this behavior and to do so would be setting a bad example to her fans,” a source said at the time.
Nearly two weeks after he was let go from what would probably have been a pretty sweet gig, Toshi has taken to Instagram to say sorry. He wrote:
I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for the insensitivity of my social media posts. While they are not a reflection of my views, they are offensive and in bad taste. I deeply regret my actions, and I’m heartbroken that I hurt my fans and followers who have encouraged me and always believed in me.
I will commit to using sensible judgement moving forward. I will be more considerate in my thoughts, remarks and actions. I am apologetic for my poor judgement and I trust that this lesson will guide me as I venture to grow into a better person every single day. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.
Taylor Swift has yet to respond, and there’s no word yet on whether she might invite him back to the tour at some point.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjxopUqh8BN/?hl=en&taken-by=toshiadventures
