Entertainment

Noah Schnapp Apologized On IG After Being Accused Of Saying The N-Word

by Jessica Vacco-Bolaños
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Over the past few years, Noah Schnapp has become a household name thanks to his breakout role as Will Byers in Stranger Things. Unfortunately, on Tuesday, Aug. 25, the actor made headlines for all the wrong reasons when an old video surfaced on Twitter in which he can be heard seemingly using a derogatory term. Noah Schnapp's response to accusations he said the N-word is a lengthy explanation and an apology.

The hashtag #NoahSchnappIsOverParty trended on Twitter on Tuesday after a since-deleted video showed Schnapp and his friends singing along to Lil Dicky and Chris Brown’s “Freaky Friday" made the rounds on Twitter. In the clip, Schnapp and his pals are on a school bus reciting the lyrics, "Wait, can I really say the N-word?" before he seemingly goes on to say the N-word multiple times.

After catching wind of the backlash, Schnapp penned an explanation and posted it to his Instagram Stories, claiming he and his camp friends replaced the N-word with the word "neighbor."

"Hi guys," Schnapp began. "Recently a video from last summer has gotten out of me dancing and singing a song while singing the word 'neighbor' over the n word. I would truly never say the n word and I'm not the type of person. I genuinely have never used that word in my life."

Courtesy of Noah Schnapp on Instagram

He continued: "Using the word 'neighbor' in that song was just something my camp friends and I did. I hope you all understand I could never even think about doing that. My friends also would never post a video, or support me, if I was saying that slur without hesitation."

Although Schnapp maintained he didn't say the N-word, he still concluded his note with an apology for his behavior. "I apologize for using a replacement word," he wrote. "It is not my place to use one and I should [have] kept my mouth shut. I understand why it is found offensive and I am so sorry."