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 HER LATEST APOLOGY: 'No matter how much I was provoked, I do acknowledge that it was an inappropriate reaction to the incident' 

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Model Jessica Leandra dos Santos said at the weekend it was not in her nature to use racist language after she caused a row on social networking site Twitter.

“Over the past 24 hours I have had time to reflect back on my actions and I don’t have the words to express my sincere remorse following my unkindly and emotional outburst on Twitter recently,” Leandra said in a statement.

“The people that do know me, know that this is not my nature and verbal usage.” 

Leandra came under fire on Friday after posting a racist tweet.

On Thursday evening, she told her Twitter followers: “Just, well took on an arrogant and disrespectful k***** inside Spar. Should have punched him, should have".

Leandra, who was men’s magazine FHM model of the year in 2011, has since deleted the post.

“No matter how much I was provoked, I do acknowledge that it was an inappropriate reaction to the incident. I have had time to reflect back on the incident and realise that I could have handled this differently,” she said.

Leandra said she had decided to get professional coaching to help her deal with instances of sexual harassment. “I am still very young and if I can learn how to handle this more appropriately, perhaps other young ladies and woman in general can also benefit and learn from my experience.” 

She later apologised and removed the tweet, saying it was an outburst of anger and a stand against sexual harassment.

It was not her only derogatory tweet: in another, she referred to "rude African monkeys" after an argument with a petrol pump attendant. This has now also been removed.

This was her initial 'apology' for using the offensive k-word slur:

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South Africans swiftly voiced their distaste at Leandra’s comments. And her modelling status is in doubt.

In a statement on its website FHM said Leandra had been stripped of her title as winner of the FHM Modelbook 2011 competition with immediate effect. “It’s important to us that it is noted that she in no way represents the magazine; she was merely the winner of an online poll we ran, and that we totally distance ourselves from her blatantly racist comments,” FHM editor Brendan Cooper said in the statement. “We have removed all pictures of her from our website and will have nothing to do with her in future.” 

Kim Kardashian's QuickTrim SA, one of her sponsors, tweeted: “Due to the severity of the remarks by JessicaLeandra, QuickTrimSA herewith ends our sponsorship to her with immediate effect!” 

A complaint against Leandra dos Santos has been lodged with the SA Human Rights Commission.

Comments

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Wed Jun 19 21:27:08 SAST 2013 ::

May 7, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

A pin up racist... now I now what Malema meant when he said the little racist girl....It shows that you can't have everything!!!!! Shame sitting on top of the world sickness!!!!
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May 7, 2012

MommaC

'Racist language not in my nature'

Well apparently it is.
Wave goodbye to your career dolly. That was a very expensive Freudian slip indeed.
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May 7, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

MommaC morning!!!

I wonder what her parents are saying? You know kids can change a perception the neighboures have about parents...Now she's trying to pull her head out of her asss with some retarded PR rhetory that the language is not is not in her nature and she does not understand why people are so mean!!!

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May 7, 2012

kudi

chochocho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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May 7, 2012

MommaC

MorenaWaPolelo

Morning :)

I wonder what her friends are saying about this and if she still has any.
There are some words you just don't use, no matter how angry you are. I just wonder what the silly tart would have said if it had been a white guy perving her. Or would that have been more acceptable in her mind?
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May 7, 2012

Pointman

On the bright side - at least most of us are in the middle ground which is good. Kul! Roberts got the same treatment for her rac!st take on "coloreds".
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May 7, 2012

swona

you not alone most SAcans are just like you! pity u lost sponsorship!
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May 7, 2012

mambaaai

swona well said, apparently you dont have to be wh!te to be a racist... just need an opinion on somebody from another race or tribe
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May 7, 2012

PleaseGetReal

No matter how angry someone makes you, playing the race card is not ok.
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May 7, 2012

tpaz

racism is natural......

as natural as loving your own kids than the neighbors kids....


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