Ethel Cain Addresses Resurfaced Racist Tumblr Posts from Her Teen Years

Musician Ethel Cain, known offstage as Hayden Anhedönia, has issued a public apology following the resurfacing of Tumblr and Curious Cat posts she made as a teenager that included racist and offensive remarks. The posts, originally made when she was around 19 years old, began circulating on social media this week, sparking backlash among fans and broader online communities.

Among the screenshots gaining attention were responses from a public Q&A platform. When asked, “have you ever said the n-word before?”, Cain replied:

“in all honesty yes lmao.”

In another instance, when someone accused her of mocking Hispanic people, she responded with:
“build that wall!”

Cain’s past behavior also included wearing a homemade shirt reading “LEGALIZE INCEST,” which resurfaced alongside the other material. In her statement posted to Instagram Stories, Cain addressed the fallout directly.

“When I was a teenager, I said things that were ignorant and wrong,” she wrote. “I’m not proud of it, and I won’t make excuses. I’ve grown a lot since then, but that doesn’t erase the damage those words caused.”

Cain, who was raised in a conservative Southern Baptist household in Florida, has previously spoken about her personal evolution and the process of unlearning harmful beliefs instilled during her upbringing.

She admitted in her apology that some of her behavior online was intentionally inflammatory—a misguided attempt to attract attention in her early internet presence.

Some fans have pointed to her more recent activism and openness about queerness and identity as signs of growth. Others have criticized her for not addressing the harm more directly or taking more tangible steps toward accountability.

As of now, Cain has not issued a follow-up statement. However, sources close to the artist say she’s reevaluating how she uses her platform and is aware of the seriousness of the controversy.