LOS ANGELES: Chrissy Teigen has posted a lengthy apology online after previous tweets of hers resurfaced in which she participated in online bullying and targeted Courtney Stodden, a model and reality TV personality.

 

“Not a day, not a single moment has passed where I haven’t felt the crushing weight of regret for the things I’ve said in the past,” she wrote in a Medium post on June 14. “As you know, a bunch of my old awful (awful, awful) tweets resurfaced. I’m truly ashamed of them. As I look at them and understand the hurt they caused, I have to stop and wonder: How could I have done that?”

 

“I’ve apologised publicly to one person, but there are others - and more than just a few - who I need to say I’m sorry to. I’m in the process of privately reaching out to the people I insulted. It’s like my own version of that show My Name is Earl! I understand that they may not want to speak to me. I don’t think I’d like to speak to me. (The real truth in all of this is how much I actually cannot take confrontation.) But if they do, I am here and I will listen to what they have to say, while apologising through sobs,” she continued.

 

Teigen, who has 13.5 million Twitter followers, became embroiled in the bullying scandal in May. In an interview with Daily Beast, Stodden revealed that Teigen sent them cruel direct messages, such as “I can’t wait for you to die”. Teigen has not posted on social media since she first apologised on May 12.

 

“There is simply no excuse for my past horrible tweets. My targets didn’t deserve them. No one does. Many of them needed empathy, kindness, understanding and support, not my meanness masquerading as a kind of casual, edgy humour,” she wrote. “I was a troll, full stop. And I am so sorry.”

 

Later on Monday, fashion designer and Project Runway alum Michael Costello spoke out against Teigen, alleging that she had bullied him, which led to depression and suicidal thoughts. In an Instagram post, Costello alleged that in 2014, Teigen accused him of being a racist because of a “photoshopped comment” Costello says has now been proven to be false. Costello says this resulted in him being “blacklisted” from future career opportunities.

 

“So many nights I stayed awake, wanting to kill myself. I didn’t see the point of living,” Costello wrote. “There was no way I can ever escape from being the target of the powerful elites in Hollywood, who actually do have powers to close doors with a single text.”

 

Later in the post, Costello added: “As a result of what Chrissy Teigen did to me in 2014, I am not okay. I may never be okay, but today, I am choosing to speak my truth.”

 

He also attached screenshots of his conversations with Teigen.

 

In early June, Teigen dropped out of a voice role in the second season of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, releasing in July. The role was voiceover narration that was planned for one episode, similar to the guest roles featured in the show’s first season.

 

- Reuters