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Global beauty brand Huda Beauty has announced the termination of its partnership with reality-TV star Huda Mustafa following a highly publicized incident during a livestream in which a racial slur was directed at fellow cast member Olandria Carthen. The brand cited the behavior as inconsistent with its values and pledged to remove any related promotional content.
The incident occurred when Mustafa and her boyfriend, reality star Louis Russell, were hosting an Instagram Live session. During the live broadcast, an anonymous caller used a racial slur aimed at Carthen, to which Mustafa and Russell reacted with laughter before ending the call. The clip quickly circulated online, prompting immediate backlash and condemnation from viewers and supporters of Carthen.
In the wake of the incident, Huda Beauty released a statement underscoring the severity of the situation: “At Huda Beauty, kindness and humanity are at the heart of everything we do. Unfortunately, one of our recent collaborators displayed behavior that does not align with our values.” The brand acknowledged that many in its community were hurt and offended, and added, “We are truly disappointed by Huda Mustafa’s recent live, and we take all forms of racism very seriously.”
The statement went on to announce the company’s decision to end its relationship with Mustafa and remove all related content from its social platforms and in-store displays. The announcement marked a swift and clear distancing from the influencer.
Mustafa later issued a public apology to Carthen, conceding that the comment was indeed targeted at her and acknowledging that her reaction, though she described it as nervous and off-guard, was inappropriate. She wrote, “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 on the harm caused.”
Carthen responded in her own Instagram story, emphasizing the deep impact of the slur, “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.” She pledged to donate to organizations focused on empowering Black communities, including the NAACP and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
