Global beauty brand Huda Beauty has officially cut ties with influencer Huda Mustafa following a controversy that sparked widespread backlash online. The decision comes after the Love Island USA star faced criticism for her reaction to a racial slur during a live session. The official statement clarified that the influencer's point of view “does not align” with its values.
Huda Beauty Cuts Ties With Huda Mustafa
Sharing an official statement on Instagram, Huda Beauty, a cosmetic brand by American makeup artist, blogger, and ent, entrepreneur Huda Heidi Kattan, wrote, “At Huda Beauty, kindness and humanity are at the heart of everything we do. Unfortunately, one of our recent collaborators has displayed behaviour that does not align with our values.”
“We are truly disappointed by Huda Mustafa's recent live, and we take all forms of racism very seriously. While we don't believe her actions reflect her character, we found them deeply upsetting. We know that many members of our community and team were hurt and offended by these actions,” the statement further read.
“While we valued the partnership we had with Huda, her recent behavior, and the way the situation has been handled do not reflect our brand's principles," the statement continued.
“As a result, we have decided to end our partnership and remove any related content from our social platforms and in-store displays. Accountability is incredibly important in moments like this, and we hope that meaningful change can come from it,” the note concluded.
Huda Mustafa Livestream Controversy
During a recent livestream with her boyfriend Louis Russell, Huda Mustafa took a call from a viewer who suddenly used the offensive 'N' word while talking about her Love Island co-star Olandria Carthan. Huda and Louis laughed for a moment, then quickly ended the call. The brief clip sparked backlash online because the actor failed to address the racist remark against her co-star.
Olandria Carthen's Reaction
Olandria Carthen reacted to the controversy by sharing a note in her Instagram stories. She called the use of the racial slur “unacceptable.”
“Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going. Defending it, laughing about it, or making excuses is even worse,” the actor wrote.
“I will not let this moment derail my purpose of uplifting my community. I'm standing firm in who I am and using this as an opportunity to call for real accountability and awareness,” she added.
Huda Mustafa's Apology
After the massive outrage online, Huda Mustafa took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the controversy and issued an apology. “Last night, I quickly posted a statement acknowledging my reaction to the racial slur that was said on Louis' livestream. I want to take this moment to more fully take accountability for my actions,” she wrote.
“I want to begin by saying I completely respect Olandria, and it's extremely disheartening that anyone, especially a presumed child, would find it excusable to use this type of language, and doing so only underlines the ignorance of the gravity that such a word carries," the influencer added.
“Olandria - it is now clear that this comment was targeted at you, and I apologize for my immediate reaction. My reaction in that moment came from being caught off guard, not from finding the word or situation funny. It was a nervous, uncomfortable reaction that I recognize as inappropriate. I want to be clear that I do not condone or tolerate anyone who uses such language, and I strongly encourage the individual responsible to reflect deeply on their words and the harm they've caused,” the influencer concluded her apology.
Read her full note below:
The incident has sparked a wider conversation online about accountability, sensitivity and the responsibility public figures carry when engaging with their audiences on social platforms.