Last week, we told you about Teen Vogue’s latest hire, Alexi McCammond, who was set to take on the role as the digital platform’s new editor-in-chief.
We also noted the controversy that quickly engulfed her hiring—specifically her past anti-Asian and homophobic tweets from her teen years that resurfaced a little after news of her new position with Teen Vogue began to circulate.
This, in turn, prompted a response from over 20 Teen Vogue staffers, who immediately expressed disdain and flat-out rejection of McCammond’s past sentiments and shared concerns with parent company Condé Nast about her being hired. While McCammond did come out and apologize for her past tweets, the former Axios political reporter is now saying goodbye just days before she was supposed to step into the role.
Variety reports that she and Condé Nast have decided to part ways, the company confirming the news in a memo sent to employees on Thursday. McCammond took to Twitter to explaining the amicable decision, saying in a statement:
I became a journalist to help lift up the stories and voices of our most vulnerable communities. As a young woman of color, that’s part of the reason I was so excited to lead the Teen Vogue team in their next chapter. My past tweets have overshadowed the work I’ve done to highlight the people and issues that I care about — issues that Teen Vogue has worked tirelessly to share with the world — and so Condé Nast and I have decided to part ways. I should not have tweeted what I did and I have taken full responsibility for that. I look at my work and growth in the years since, and have redoubled my commitment to growing in the years to come as both a person and as a professional.
I wish the talented team at Teen Vogue the absolute best moving forward. Their work has never been more important and I will be rooting for them. There are so many stories left to be told, especially those about marginalized communities and the issues affecting them. I hope to have the opportunity to re-join the ranks of tireless journalists who are shining light on the issues that matter every single day.