Michael Clifford of 5 Seconds of Summer apologizes for sexist and homophobic tweets, fans say he's still loved
Michael Clifford, the 24-year-old guitarist of the Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer, had gotten himself into some hot water recently after the Twitterverse uncovered some nasty comments he had posted on his Twitter account. As it turns out, the internet did a deep dive into his tweet history and the resulting sexist and homophobic posts that resurfaced were enough to convince people to throw a #michaelcliffordisoverparty, which started trending on Twitter on June 12.
Some of his insensitive comments included, "I'm so bad at making sandwiches, I would be a terrible woman" and calling his bandmate Luke Hemmings a "f****t" in several Twitter posts. There are plenty more examples of his offensive behavior on this Twitter thread, such as wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt and saying that his bandmate Calum Hood was going to rape him in a Keek video. Clifford also addressed his sexual harassment claims, saying that they were completely untrue. He posted, "I am heartbroken to read these things that are being said — they are just BEYOND untrue. I was never allowed in the crowd I only ever watched at front of house — and I would've never EVER done that. I'm so f***ing upset."
So after the cancel party for Clifford made Twitter's feelings known loud and clear, a contrite Clifford took to social media to address the backlash. On June 14, Clifford directly responded to the allegations by tweeting an apology. "I am so f***ing sorry for all the dumb s*** I did when I was younger," he began. "I am a different person now with a much better understanding of the world. Some people have access to a digital megaphone a bit earlier than they should, unfortunately, I was one of them."
Well, it's nice to know that he's realized how crass he was coming across as. Clifford then followed that apology up with another tweet that read, "I am so sorry for hurting anyone. it was never my intention," he stated, before continuing, "I was so naive and I am embarrassed and I am beyond sorry. I will continue to be better and I will continue to change. I never want to hurt anyone again."
Some didn't really buy it, with one saying, "This doesn’t even address ANYTHING that you’ve done. You’ve hurt so many people Michael and everyone deserves a better apology than this." Another fan then chimed in with a message of support, saying, "I want you to know that we are not all joined together with you by your past thoughts, we understand you were young and foolish, so were we. Latin America is with you and sends you much love. We know who you are and what you are worth." However, immediately after that, another outraged user said, "No we’re not with him. I’m beyond pissed off at him and how he hasn’t addressed what he has done." Another observed, "I think acknowledging specifics might be good, apologizing to each community affected separately would mean a lot (in my perspective)."
However, acknowledging one has a problem is the first step to fixing it, another supporter said, "We were all stupid teenagers at some point and teenagers make mistakes that's how we learn and grow up. It's all good thank you for apologizing. We all have immature days and mistakes that's what makes us human it's part of growing up really. Big love! Let's keep growing together" As another fan concluded, "Mikey, those who know your heart always knew you would never say anything to hurt anyone! Everyone makes mistakes, grows and learns, this is life. Please stay well, we love you so much and will always be here for you." The hashtag #michaelcliffordislovedparty also started trending following his apology, so it looks like the internet is giving him a second chance after all.