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Is Rita Ora Black and why is the Internet accusing the singer of 'Blackfishing'?

On Sunday, August 9, Ora started trending on Twitter after the Internet began debating about the international musician's ethnicity and most being surprised that the singer wasn't Black

After soaking up the sun on her Ibiza holiday, Rita Ora is once again making news. This time not for her hot bikini bod but for her ethnicity. The actress was called out by Internet for 'Blackfishing'.

On Sunday, August 9, Ora started trending on Twitter after the Internet began debating about the international musician's ethnicity and most being surprised that the singer wasn't Black. One Twitter user shared a post saying, "Finding out rita ora isn’t black at all and both of her parents are white Albanians is so trippy. the girls BEEN blackfishing," the user further added, "like the girl isn’t black in the slightest this is kinda freaking me out. yt women really slip into black personas so easily" in a tweeted response. 'Blackfishing' is a term being used to describe someone who is pretending to be Black.

As soon as the post went viral and people started questioning Ora about her ethnicity.

One surprised user commented saying, "Your telling me this woman not at least mixed?????????" and another user attacked her and said, "Right. Rita Ora is not black. I know that. But she blackfaced. And used cultural appropriation. She used box braids. Not braids. Anyone can wear braids. But box braids and Cornrows have a meaning. They are not just a style. She made herself appear black if you didn't know"

While some came out in her defense and said, "If you listen to Rita Ora’s interviews from back in the day, you’ll know that her music/fashion style has been influenced by a diverse group of artists. She’s never blackfished, she genuinely appreciates those looks. It doesn’t make it right to use them."

One Twitter user compared her with Dua Lipa and said, "I just found out that Rita Ora isn’t black... like at ALL. She’s literally the same ethnicity as Dua Lipa." Some even harked back to the comparison between Ora and Rihanna and said, "I wouldn’t say blackfishin cause she’s always had those “ethnic” features. It’s just people compared her to Rihanna so much," and another one mocked saying, "Some of y’all thought Rita Ora was black because she was being compared to Rihanna who is actually Black. Remember that time some swore she was next up to be the new Rih Rih." And another user joked saying, "Whoever thought Rita Ora was black??? Wasn’t she referred to as the white Rihanna at one point?"

And to some people, the trending tweet was not a surprise but the fact that people didn't know that she wasn't Black came out as a bigger shock, as one Twitter user commented, "I’m really sorry to break it to you guys but your eyes are actually broken if you thought Rita Ora was black. I’m truly sorry," and "Am I the only one that KNEW Rita Ora WASN'T black?" Some also said, "Im looking to see why Rita Ora is trending, and its because ppl are just finding out she isn't black. I thought it was common knowledge that she was Albanian. Or maybe its because i actual f**k with her music some and i know a little bit about her life"

In 1990, Ora was born in Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo) to Albanian parents. A year later, her family was forced to flee their home country. Escaping persecution, they sought out a new life in London. In an interview with Vogue she revealed, “When the conflict started in what is now former Yugoslavia, my parents made the difficult decision to leave." "Kosovo will always be our homeland and we will forever be proud Kosovans," she had said.