Kailyn Lowry may be choosing her on-camera words more carefully in the future after one quote got her a tone of hate messages from viewers.
The Teen Mom 2 star found herself at the center of racist accusations following a remark she made during the season five finale.
Jo Rivera, the father of Lowry’s son Isaac, had cut his son’s hair in a manner that was disagreeable to the 22-year-old mother.
In a text message, Lowry argued that Isaac was “too young for that”.
Kailyn also remarked that “little white boys don’t get their hair cut like that” and that her son is “half-white”.
After the tirade aired, it had some viewers asking exactly how a haircut is appropriate or inappropriate for children based on race alone.
[VIDEO] Amber Portwood & Kailyn Lowry talk "Teen Mom" and "Teen Mom 2" http://t.co/Oxr9swKsxE pic.twitter.com/8B26cWaPD3
— Teen Mom 2 (@mtv_teenmom3) September 30, 2014
Over the past few days Kailyn has gone from laughing off the accusation to apologizing for offending viewers.
In a statement published by MTV, Lowry said that she was “deeply sorry for making those comments”.
“They were not representative of who I am. Diversity is something I value, especially in my own family.”
Husband Javi Marroquin stuck up for Kailyn Lowry, saying that the “statement came out wrong” and was taken “out of context”. He suggested that everyone angry at Lowry’s comments “move on” from the controversy.
Gotta make good tv somehow! #TeenMom2
— Kail Lowry (@KailLowry) September 25, 2014
The problem with this method of playing down the remarks made by Kailyn is that there’s probably never a right context for a comment like that.
The situation seems to highlight the difficulty some parents have fully accepting the other half of their biracial child’s ethnic makeup.
While Kailyn’s little boy may be partially white like herself, there is another half of his heritage that his birth father probably will have a say in. Not to mention young Isaac himself when he eventually comes of age.
This is something that Lowry will have to accept in time.
Hopefully with age will come wisdom and fewer foot-in-mouth situations regarding the racial and ethnic makeup of her son.