Current:Home > ContactUntangling the Controversy Involving TikTokers Lunden Stallings and Olivia Bennett -Ascend Wealth Education
Untangling the Controversy Involving TikTokers Lunden Stallings and Olivia Bennett
View
Date:2025-04-17 14:01:39
This was probably not the way Lunden Stallings and Olivia Bennett imagined starting off their marriage.
The influencer duo—who have almost 700,000 followers on their joint TikTok account—went from newlywed bliss to issuing an apology video during their honeymoon all in a span of days after Lunden's past racist tweets resurfaced.
The saga all started on Sept. 30, when the 26-year-olds tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Naylor Hall in Roswell, Ga., with many fans referring to the black-tie nuptials as the "royal wedding of lesbian TikTok."
"We like romanticizing the moment that we're in," Lunden gushed to People in a profile gushed on Oct. 1, adding that she and Olivia felt their wedding was "so much bigger than us" as figures in the LGBTQ+ community. "And I think that by showing two feminine women in a relationship in the south, I think that it breaks a barrier."
However, just as Lunden and Olivia began filling their social media accounts with photos and videos from their picture-perfect wedding, screenshots of what apeared to be old tweets containing racial slurs made from Lunden's X (formerly known as Twitter) account surfaced on Reddit. The racially insensitive posts, the screenshots of which have since been deleted, seemed to date back as early as the 2010s.
Amid backlash, the TikTokers made a 10-minute apology video on their TikTok Stories, with Lunden saying that she was "completely and utterly disgusted and ashamed" by her past behavior.
"I don't want people to think that I am just sweeping this under the rug or that it's something I'm not going to address or don't want to address because I do want to address it," she continued. "That's not who I am."
Calling Lunden's controversial tweets an "unfortunate and ignorant mistake," Olivia told her new wife, "It's so disappointing to see that those things were written, and written by somebody that I love, but I also know to my heart and core that's not who you are. I would've never married her if that's who she was today."
Lunden added, "I just want everyone to know, even the ones that don't know, that I am sorry."
But their mea culpa didn't quell the online criticism, with some taking issue with the fact that Lunden and Olivia's video was made on Stories, where posts expire 24 hours after its creation. Others called out the couple for getting married at a wedding venue with ties to a plantation owner. (Naylor Hall's website said the property was built during the 1840s by Barrington King—the son of Roswell King, a cotton mill owner who controlled several plantations that were operated by slave labor, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.)
As of Oct. 6, Lunden and Olivia have not publicly addressed backlash over their apology video.
E! News has reached out to their rep for comment but hasn't heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (6)
Related
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Former lawmaker who led Michigan marijuana board is sent to prison for bribery
- The far right has been feuding with McCarthy for weeks. Here’s how it’s spiraling into a shutdown.
- Viktor Hovland stays hot, makes hole-in-one on par 4 during Ryder Cup practice round
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Authorities in Maui will open more of the burn zone to visits by residents next week
- Mexico’s president slams US aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba
- 'Kill Black people': Elon Musk's Tesla sued for racial abuse at electric vehicle plant
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Mexico’s president slams US aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba
Ranking
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Dolphins, Eagles or 49ers: Who will be last undefeated NFL team standing?
- Fossil fuel rules catch Western towns between old economies and new green goals
- Overworked and understaffed: Kaiser workers are on the brink of a nationwide strike
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Florida high-speed train headed to Orlando fatally strikes pedestrian
- Toby Keith's Tear-Jerking Speech Ain't Worth Missing at the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards
- Norway joins EU nations in banning Russian-registered cars from entering its territory
Recommendation
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
Stop this effort Now: Democratic Party officials urge leaders to denounce No Labels in internal email
Winners and losers of 'Thursday Night Football': Lions make statement with win at Packers
*NSYNC Will Have You Dancing Into the Weekend With Full Version of Song Better Place
Average rate on 30
The Rolling Stones release new gospel-inspired song with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder: Listen
Man who fled NYC day care where suspected drug exposure led to child’s death has been arrested
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice refuses to disclose names of others looking at impeachment