Even Anna Wintour couldn’t save Alexi McCammond from cancel culture: report
High-powered Vogue honcho was aware of problematic tweets but hired McCammond anyway, according to New York Times
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Anna Wintour, the notoriously high-powered Vogue executive, was aware of the tweets that would eventually lead to Alexi McCammond's resignation but hired her anyway and then couldn't save her from outraged staffers, according to The New York Times.
McCammond's tenure as editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue ended before it ever began on Thursday when she parted ways with the far-left outlet after an internal uproar over decade-old tweets, for which she previously apologized in 2019. Staffers at the Condé Nast publication were furious over the tweets, while critics labeled the outrage as the latest example of cancel culture.
Anna Wintour was aware of the tweets that would eventually lead to Alexi McCammond's resignation but hired her anyway, according to The New York Times. (Reuters/Getty Images)
TEEN VOGUE EDITOR BECOMES LATEST CANCEL CULTURE VICTIM AFTER STAFFERS' REVOLT OVER DECADE-OLD TWEETS
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The Times reported Wintour, the chief content officer and the global editorial director of Vogue, had vetted McCammond and was "aware of the decade-old racist tweets" but decided to hire her anyway and later tried to save her once backlash erupted. However, even the powerful Wintour couldn’t save from cancel culture.
"Wintour discussed the tweets with leaders of color at Condé Nast before the job was offered, according to a company executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel issue. Ms. McCammond struck Condé Nast leaders as an impressive candidate, the executive said, and they felt her 2019 apology showed that she had learned from her mistakes," the Times reported, noting that Condé Nast executives were unaware of other problematic tweets and photos that were later unearthed.
Teen Vogue staffers were furious when McCammond was named incoming editor-in-chief and Wintour attempted to salvage the hire to no avail.
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"As complaints mounted, Ms. Wintour tried to build support for the would-be Teen Vogue editor. Ms. McCammond also participated in meetings with Condé Nast staff members and other groups to apologize further and listen to their concerns, including one-on-one talks with journalists at Teen Vogue, according to six people with knowledge of the meetings," the Times reported.
The Times reported "two people with knowledge of the plan" felt McCammond was a goner once Wintour canceled a meeting that was scheduled with top Condé Nast editors, including McCammond.
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"The cancellation was accompanied by a note saying the meeting would not be rescheduled," the Times reported.
McCammond, who rose to fame as a reporter at Axios and an MSNBC contributor, previously addressed the tweets in 2019 after they came to light.
"I have since deleted those tweets as they do not reflect my views or who I am today," she wrote on Nov. 20, 2019.
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She continued to report for Axios through the 2020 election without public objection, but following the announcement of her hiring at Teen Vogue on March 5, more than 20 staffers objected in a letter to McCammond over her past tweets. She again apologized, but Ulta Beauty suspended a lucrative advertising campaign with the publication over the controversy.
She released a statement on Thursday to announce she would walk away from Teen Vogue after staffers and advertisers objected to her hiring.
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"My past tweets have overshadowed the work I've done to highlight the people and issues that I care about -- issues that Teen Vogue has worked tirelessly to share with the world -- and so Condé Nast and I have decided to part ways," McCammond wrote.
McCammond said she would be "rooting" for the publication, whose staffers revolted following the announcement of her hiring over the tweets, which included hoping she didn't wake up with "Asian" eyes and using the term "homo." The 27-year-old Black journalist sent the offending remarks in 2011, when she was a teenager.
Condé Nast did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report.