FKA Twigs has described the “deeply horrific” racist abuse she suffered online while she was in a relationship with Robert Pattinson.
The singer, who is mixed race, said people would send her pictures of monkeys on social media and called her “the most hurtful and ignorant names on the planet”.
FKA Twigs, 33, and Twilight star Pattinson, 34, began dating in 2014 and parted ways in 2017 after reportedly becoming engaged.
Appearing on Louis Theroux’s Grounded podcast, she said that she believed some fans saw Pattinson as their “white prince charming” and thought it was wrong they were together.
The singer, real name Tahliah Barnett, said: “It was really deeply horrific and I think it was at a time where I felt like I couldn’t really talk about it.
“I feel like if I was going through it now I would be able to talk about it and do some good with it.
“But I don’t know whether it was to do with my age or because of the social climate or being black and from Cheltenham and from a low income family, and having to genuinely work twice as hard at everything I do to get a seat at the table.
“People talk about black excellence but that is because we have to be excellent to be considered average.
“I worked so, so, so, hard just to get a little seat at the table and then I got there and people just called me the most hurtful and ignorant names on the planet.”
Abuse
Detailing the abuse she suffered on social media, she added: “He was their white prince charming and I think they considered that he should definitely be with somebody white and blonde and not me.
“Whatever I did at that time people would find pictures of monkeys and have me doing the same thing as the monkey.
“Say if I was wearing a red dress they would have a monkey in a red dress or I was on a bike they would find a monkey on a bike.”
Pattinson won a generation of young fans starring as the undead Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series, based on the young adult book series by US author Stephenie Meyer.
He is starring as the title character in the upcoming Batman film.
