Chilli's "Caramel" Comments Raise Colorism Debate On Social Media

BYHayley Hynes8.3K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Variety's 2023 Power Of Women - Arrivals
Chilli attends Variety's 2023 Power of Women event at The Grill on April 04, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Though some are upset with the TLC singer, she doesn't see any harm in speaking her truth.

It's impossible to please everyone, but in the social media age, celebrities feel more pressure than ever before to remain politically correct and positive online. Should they choose to reveal any unsavoury opinions, or even have a bad day, flocks of criticism flood their comment section, resulting in even more headaches. TLC's Chilli was reminded of this the hard way earlier this week when her response to a compliment rubbed thousands the wrong way. In a now-viral video, the singer and her man, Matthew Lawrence were showing off their choreography during a vacation in Jamaica, leaving viewers impressed with how in sync they are.

"Ok Matthew!! He got some chocolate now he got the moves!! I approve!!" one person innocently wrote beneath the actor's post. "Caramel 😉🤩," Chilli wrote back, suggesting she identifies with a lighter shade of brown than others see her. As people began reacting to this, the 52-year-old doubled down on her original statement. "Chocolate is beautiful also... Never said it wasn't But without a tan, I'm caramel. What's the harm in being truthful? Good grief," she wrote back to a critic.

Chilli's Response to "Chocolate" Compliment Sparks Massive Debate

"It's not the fact that she considers herself caramel," one frustrated user explained beneath @theneighborhoodtalk's post. "It's the fact that she took the time to CORRECT the person who was obviously giving her a compliment 🥴🥴." Another chimed in with their two cents, writing, "I really hate the spectrum of Black y'all tryna create, and it mainly stems in the Black community. [White] folks do not be talking 'bout, 'I'm salmon pink,' 🙄."

More Social Media Reactions

"Wasn't Chilli the darkest out of TLC!?" another person asked, earning thousands of likes from more music lovers in agreement with them. Keep scrolling to read more online reactions to the "Waterfalls" hitmaker's post, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

[Via]

About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
...