BuzzFeed issued an apology almost a month after its food vertical, Tasty, posted a controversial Instagram message about “Love Island USA” contestant Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe.
The post, published in early July, listed season seven contestants alongside breakfast suggestions inspired by the show, which often features male contestants preparing food for female participants as a daily courtesy.
The post, intended to be humorous, but Tasty’s description of Bissainthe’s breakfast included the line, “a bowl of fruit, Goldfish, and a knuckle sandwich.”
Viewers quickly criticized the comment, noting that it suggested a Black female contestant deserved violence. Many emphasized that reality television contestants already face public scrutiny, and the post crossed a line by adding an unnecessary attack.
Following the backlash, Bissainthe’s team posted a statement on Instagram calling the content “disturbing, disgusting, and unacceptable.”
The statement read, “It is the harsh reality that implicit biases can be rooted in antiblackness, misogyny, prejudice, violence, etc. We will not accept a narrative in which Chelley deserves violence.”
BuzzFeed deleted the post soon after, but it took almost a month for the outlet to issue a formal apology. The apology was presented in the form of an 11-step guide for addressing offensive behavior.
“This mistake deeply hurt members of the Black community, both internally and in our audience,” the apology said. “But instead of ignoring the issue or sweeping it under the rug, we want to use it as a case study of what any workplace or community must face when it falls short and show what it looks like to try, sincerely, to do better.”
The guide emphasized listening to employees and audiences about how the post affected them.
One employee shared anonymously, “As a Black woman at the company, I was mostly disappointed and confused. It made me think about all the experiences that I have to go through on a daily basis. Darker skin is automatically seen as aggressive. No matter what you do, what you say, or how you say it.” Another said, “My trust in my company has faltered, and my safe haven now has a crack.”
Additionally, it outlined the importance of taking responsibility, issuing “genuine apologies,” creating inclusive and safe spaces, and promoting positive representations of Black individuals. The post acknowledged that meaningful change requires ongoing effort beyond a fixed list of steps.
“Through these steps and our work, we are aiming every day to promote Black joy, to protect Black women, and to help steer a much larger and whiter organization in a direction that’s inclusive for us and all others,” the apology concluded.
