YouTuber PewDiePie Apologizes For Using Racial Slur

The internet personality is speaking out after using the n-word during a livestream.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, YouTube star PewDiePie (real name Felix Kjellberg) posted a video on his channel titled "My Response" and addressed his use of the racial slur head-on.

"It was something I said in the heat of the moment," the 27-year-old explained. "I said the worst word I could possibly think of, and it just sort of slipped out. I'm not going to make any excuses as to why it did, because there are no excuses for it."

Kjellberg went on, "It's not that I think I can say or do whatever I want and get away with it. That's not it at all — I'm just an idiot... I'm really sorry if I offended, hurt or disappointed anyone with all of this. Being in the position I am, I should know better."

"I owe it to my audience and to myself to do better than this," he added, "because I know I'm better than this."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Kjellberg was playing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds during a livestream on Sept. 10 when he called another player a "***ing n*****." Afterwards, it appeared as though he'd realized what he'd said, casually telling viewers he "didn't mean it in a bad way."

But, considering that it wasn't Kjellberg's first involvement with a race-based controversy (he'd once been accused of having anti-semitic imagery in his videos), Kjellberg faced swift backlash. Following reports of Kjellberg's use of the n-word, Campo Santo co-founder Sean Vanaman said that he'd be filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act "takedown" of any of Kjellberg's videos that featured Campo Santo games.

"I am sick of this child getting more and more chances to make money off of what we make," he tweeted out, adding, "He's worse than a closeted racist: he's a propagator of despicable garbage that does real damage to the culture around this industry."

No word yet on whether or not videos of Kjellberg playing Campo Santo games will be removed from his channel.

While we wait to see how this scandal develops, read up on all of the biggest jerks on YouTube.