PROTECT BLACK WOMEN!!!!!!

A cozy Halloween intro turns into a tough but needed conversation about racism, accountability, and how fast the internet can lose the plot. We share why inner-child joy and speaking up are connected, then walk through a viral moment where a racial slur got brushed off as “awkward laughter.” If you’ve ever wondered where apology ends and accountability begins, or why audiences keep mistaking critique for “hate,” you’ll find clarity here—along with a push for action that goes beyond statements.

We talk candidly about how donations and concrete commitments shift apologies from optics to outcomes, and why being anti-racist means calling out microaggressions with the same urgency as overt slurs. From there, we unpack the whiplash pivot that turned righteous anger into a false rivalry between two Black women who haven’t attacked each other. This is where parasocial fandom and misogyny collide—when women get blamed for men’s words, when nuance vanishes, and when the original harm gets buried under team loyalty and clout-chasing.

Throughout, we own our wording, tighten our framing, and refuse to let the narrative drift. You can support ChellEy and Olandria at the same time. You can demand better from castmates, brands, and platforms without fueling baseless feuds. Protect Black women means both/and: call out the harm, refuse the scapegoating, and keep the focus where it belongs.

If this conversation resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who cares about real accountability, and leave a review with your take: what does meaningful anti-racism look like in your community?

Transcript

Daijné: 0:00

Is this thing on? Hello, hello. Uh-oh. Another yuffer with a mic. Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Napkin In Between podcast. I am your host, Daijne Jones. I hope everyone's been having a good week except for that Orange Nick Lady. Of course. Y'all, it's Halloween. Oh my god, I love Halloween. I love Halloween. It is like genuinely one of my favorite holidays. I just like the concept of like of playing dress up. Essentially, that's what it feels like to me. It's like Halloween is just like everybody is playing dress up and you get to be whatever you want for a night. Like, ugh. The concept of that is just like so fun to me and so freeing. Like you can literally be whatever you want. And I love that. I also think I just love Halloween because, like, as a kid, I grew up in a very strict Christian household. And so as a kid, I was thinking about this the other day. I think I went trick-or-treating like one time. I can remember trick-or-treating one time in my entire childhood. And I feel like a lot of healing trauma, at least for me personally, is just like healing your inner child. You know what I mean? Just like doing things that you weren't necessarily allowed to do as a child, or like, you know, standing up for yourself. Like for me personally, as a child, like standing up for myself was seen as disrespectful and like talking back. And so, like, it took me so long to finally find my voice. That's why I'm a yapper now, I think. Because like as a child, I was always like told, like, oh my god, you're so quiet. You never talk, da da da da da. But then when I would try to talk, like I would also get in trouble and like be told like I was disrespectful. And like essentially, it was like, you need to talk more, but like not like that. You know what I mean? And I think like as an adult, again, now I have free will and I can do all the fucking talking I want. That's why I just like sit in this bed and just like yap into a microphone, or like my videos on TikTok is literally just me like talking. Like, I didn't get to talk as a child, or like that sounds crazy to say, but like there's also some truth to it, you know? Like, I just didn't get to like fully vocalize and and say like what I wanted to say. So now I'm just like, fuck it. I'm gonna say everything that I want to say. Maybe sometimes I could be a little better at it, and we'll talk about that a little bit later in this episode, actually. But yeah, I just like love to talk. So yeah, it's just all a big ball. Adulthood is really just healing your inner child. That's that's what it really is. In order to fully enjoy adulthood, I firmly believe that you have to heal your inner child, and so that's why I talk so much, that's why I love Halloween. Like, two of the biggest things that I like wanted to do as a child, I like wasn't able to do in the way that I wanted to do them. And so now I'm just like, now I'm just gonna do it. Fuck it. So I say all that to say the peak of my week is just like I it hasn't even really happened yet. Me and well, by the time this episode comes out, at the time of filming, it hasn't happened, but by this episode goes out, it Halloween would have like Halloween would have passed. Um, but I'm just really excited about Halloween weekend and going out and dressing up and being with friends. Like, I just like giddy thinking about it. So that's definitely been the peak of my week, or will be the peak of my week. And also has been, just like the anticipation. I just love Halloween and being a nanny, like my nanny kids are really excited about Halloween. We decorated their apartment, which was really fun, and so yeah, I just love I just love the Halloween spirit. You know what I mean? It's just like it's just so fun and so freeing and so like childlike, and I just love that. So that has definitely been the peak of my week. Please tell me the pick of your week. Something that made you smile, kept you grounded, kept you sane in the chaos of the world. Seguing into what we're gonna talk about today. The last 24 hours have felt like a fever dream to me. Because I have seen how quickly and how drastically people can lose the plot. People can twist something into something that like it just it it wasn't, and use it as an opportunity to further attack and spew vitriol and hate and just like bullshit at people who are simply just like existing and trying to live their lives peacefully and gracefully, and it's just been it's just been really a crazy wild wicked 24 hours. So yesterday morning when I woke up, literally the very first thing that I saw was this video of Huda and her boyfriend Louise Huda from Love Island season seven and her boyfriend Luis Lewis, I don't really know how to say his name correctly, but literally woke up at 8 30 a.m. First thing I saw was this video of Huda and Louise, and I'll I'll put a clip in here so that you guys can see the video that I'm referring to.

Speaker 1: 5:09

Hello? Whoa, okay, imagine waking up.

Daijné: 5:26

This is why I need I need to stop waking up, and the first thing that I do is like get on TikTok. It immediately that video immediately pissed me off, rightfully so. But like maybe I should start like starting my day a little bit. Getting up, getting in the shower, having some breakfast, putting something on my stomach before I met with just like overt fucking racism, like the most insane shit. And so obviously, after I saw that video, people online were upset, rightfully so, like, because like what about a racial slur is funny. And I I'm seeing Huda make excuses for herself, obviously, like fork fountain kitchen. That's that's what she does, and saying, like, oh, it was like an awkward situation, it was awkward laughter, I was just nervous, I didn't hear what was going on, I didn't hear the whole thing, all I heard was the racial slur. And it's like, first of all, I can very clearly hear through the recording what was said. Okay, it I mean it's it's clear as day. You have the phone damn near glued to your fucking ear, like this. For the audio listeners you can't see, but like for the visual listeners, the phone is glued to your ear like this, and you're trying to convince me that you couldn't hear what was said. Be so fucking for real. Be so fucking for real. Second of all, you said, oh, I I couldn't hear what was said, all I heard was the racial slur. Let's just for the sake of the argument, let's just say that that's true. All you heard was the racial slur. What about racial slurs is funny? Why are we laughing? You know what I mean? Especially coming from the woman who at the reunion said that you know she was receiving uh racist comments and remarks from people as well. That's why she couldn't speak up about the racism that Shelly and Alandria were facing. Because she was also, you know, receiving racism and she was just super busy and she just didn't have the time, blah blah blah blah. So if you are also receiving racism and things like that, which I'm not saying that she didn't, I I didn't see it, but just because I didn't see it doesn't mean that it it's not there. So if you are saying that you also received racism and it was negatively affecting you, how could you possibly turn around and laugh at any sort of racism? That just does not make sense to me. That does not make sense to me. Any like if you are receiving racism, how can racism in any form, whether it's directed at you or not, be funny? Because the way that I see it and the way that I process it as someone who has you know received racism and it has negatively affected me, I can't look at racism towards other people that I claim to care about, mind you, that I claim to have respect for and was at one point friends with, whatever, and and see that as like, oh, it was just very awkward, oh, I was like nervous, oh that's why I left. Wouldn't you want to immediately shut that down? Because you have been on the receiving end of racism. So it's like if you've been on the receiving end of it and you know just how shitty that feels and how much that affects you, why would you not want to immediately shut that down for somebody else? Math isn't mathing to me. I I don't I don't it's not adding up to me. And then for her initial response to you know people calling out her laughing and stuff like that, her initial response wasn't to condemn the racism, it was to respond to the backlash that she was receiving for laughing at Alandria being called a racial slur. Which tells me so much about her. First of all, I knew who Huda was from episode two when she became very micro-aggressive towards Alandria because Alandria had asked her, you know, it was it was the scene where Sierra, you know, was choosing who to couple up with, and like the men were told if you want to couple up with Sierra, you know, stand up or whatever. And all of the guys had stood up for a chance to recouple with Sierra, apart from Jeremiah, who at the time was coupled up with Huda. And HUDA immediately starts to make the whole situation about her, and like, oh, y'all deserve some real men, and oh my god, Jeremiah, I'm so proud of you. Like, you know, like oh, y'all, y'all deserve real men. And Elandria is like, girl, you don't have to do that. Like, we're not upset. It's still really early, like you can stop this, like, we'll talk about it later. Huda then starts crying and it's like, oh my god, why would Elandria do that? That was so mean. I would never do that in front of everyone, mind you. A couple episodes later, she's going on a rant about Iris and how Jeremiah said he doesn't really like Iris and da da da da. Whatever. Um, but she's going on this huge, like, oh my god, poor me, that was so mean. Why was Elandria so mean to me? That's when I clocked Huda. That's when I knew. I said, Oh bitch, I know exactly what you are. Because all of that was not fucking necessary. All Elandria said was, we'll talk about it later, we'll have a chat later. And Huda d dissolved into a puddle of tears over just being asked to like relax, and you can hear Shelly in the background saying, like, oh, it's just a game. It was the second fucking episode. They had known each other for all of what 24-48 hours. Like, you're doing far too much for it to be day two of this whole experience. But that was when I knew, oh, Huda, I I don't that was when like my my bulb came up, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh, we gotta keep an eye out for you, and then from there on, it had just been a snowball effect of seeing Huda do more shit and not be a safe space for Shelly or Landria and not have their backs, like it it just snowballed into all of this behavior, and not just Shelly and Alandria, Chris as well. I'm still not over the fact that we literally watched her trying to sexually coerce Chris into sex on national television, like we sped by that, like that was not addressed enough for me. I I'm still there, and also like the way that she was with Jeremiah, like just very, very toxic individual. And I like had Love Island done their jobs and in well, first of all, had they done their jobs and realized before the show, hey, like maybe she's not the best fit for national television, that would have been great. But then even after her crash out with Jeremiah, she should have gone home after that because it was just far too much. Unfortunately, she didn't, and you know, she was honestly she was rewarded for this behavior. She was allowed to stay on the show, she's been given this huge platform, and now we're seeing the snowball effect of her continue to just display all of this negative bad behavior. And I think because there is this history of her, you know, being rewarded or not being held accountable for this negative behavior. I think that that's why she initially responded the way that she did. Because she was like essentially thought to herself, like, oh, this will blow over, like no one will really care. Like that, I mean that's what it's been in the past, right? Like, she's been doing all of these negative, terrible things, and there's really been no accountability. So I think that, you know, that's the mindset that she was going into this with is just like no one's gonna really hold me accountable. I I'll it'll blow over. Because that's what's happened in the past. To her surprise, Alandria, who is just a fucking queen, I love her so much. But she responded and obviously called out the racism, called out the response, the initial response from Huda and Louis to the racism. And she essentially said, you know, save your fake apologies, let's put your money where your mouth is, let's donate to these organizations that help, you know, fight racial disparity and discrimination and different things like that. That was the best thing and the best way that the landria could have handled the situation because it forced accountability. And I think that that was necessary and important because, again, she's never really been held accountable for her behavior. She's she still has a platform, she's had these brand deals, and you know, people are you know making excuses for her, she's making excuses for herself, and it's always worked until this situation, until Alandria was like, listen, this is not an appropriate response to racism, like it should always be immediately called out. And not only should you, you know, post your surface level apology, let's actually reparations, bitch. Like, let's do something to help fight racial disparity and racism and racial inequalities. And I loved seeing that. I loved seeing Huda be held accountable because, again, it is necessary. And of course, there were HUDA fans who were like, oh my god, y'all are just hating. Da-da-da-da-da. I need y'all to understand that holding somebody accountable for racism is not hating. We should be holding people accountable for racism. Like, and it it blows my mind that that that has to be said, that some of y'all don't understand the difference between hating and holding somebody accountable for their behavior. But it's like, I I really need y'all to be so fucking for real. Someone can't be a part of the problem, and when they're held accountable for being a part of the problem, it's called hating on that person. How the fuck are we supposed to combat racism if every time people try to call racism out, y'all just view it as hating or trying to hate on somebody? Like, let's let's be so fucking for real. And all forms of racism need to be called out. Just because someone isn't spewing the N-word or saying from the top of their lungs, like, I hate black people or whatever, does not mean that they are not being racist. There is a such thing as microaggressions, and microaggressions also helped uphold racism. And that's why I say it's not enough to say you're not racist, you have to be anti-racist because racism, especially in America, is so embedded into every part of our society that if you are not actively trying to combat and fight racism, you will be racist. Whether you mean to be racist or you like don't even realize you're being racist, it can still happen because it is so embedded into every part of our society. And so that's why I was so happy to see Huda being held accountable because people who are racist or condone racism or don't immediately call out racism, like all of that has to be held accountable. But for some reason, it switched from Huda being held accountable for not immediately condemning the racism to now people making this a Shelly versus Alandria thing. Ayo? Like what is going on? And I have to I have to hold myself accountable here too because I made a video and I have to I have to remember that the way my brain works doesn't compute always how I mean it to. And and I need to hold myself accountable for that because I made a video and I had said that every islander or brand who is not calling out this racism that Alandria is facing, like I'm side-eyeing them. And then I went on to say, y'all are so quick to party with her or to use her for views for clout to use her for your brands or whatever. But when it comes to actually standing up for her and showing that you really, you know, do stand for her, like it nobody's saying anything. Because like it had been almost a full day of you know, this video circulating, people talking about it, and I know people had seen it, and very few people had said something. Aqua Day Capir, the freaky water people, they had said something. Nick had said something, and that was the only two that I saw, and it really rubbed me the wrong way because I'm like, y'all were just partying with her, y'all are using her, you know, as like for your brands, for clicks, reviews, for whatever. But when she needs it, like when she needs someone to stand with her, like nobody is there, like I'm side-eyeing you. And so the way that it computed in my brain was like, yes, I said every islander, but then I went on to explain, you know, like y'all have been partying with her. So the way that it it the way that I meant it and the way that it computed in my brain was that I was saying every islander who had just been recently partying with her, not just every islander in general. However, in the comments of that video, people were starting to call out Shelly. Like, oh my god, yeah, why was Shelly posting her Halloween costume and and Shelly hasn't spoken out for Alandria and da-da-da-da. And I'm like, whoa. When the fuck did I say anything about Shelly? And I I was responding to comments to be like, mind you, I said in this video, people who have been recently partying with her, was Shelly recently partying with Alandria? Because I missed it. And trust, like, unfortunately, I I'm chronically online. If if they were together, because I missed my girls together, not gonna yay. Anyway, it was so confusing to me how people saw that video and immediately jumped to Shelly. And again, I'll take some accountability for that because I did say every islander. I feel like I went on to then say, like, how are you partying with her, but not standing with her and backing her in the face of racism. And so in my brain, every islander that has been partying with her is how I how I meant it. I could have worded it better. And so I'll take accountability for that. However, at the same time, I do feel like there are people in every fan base, whether you are a Huda fan, a Shelly fan, an Alandria fan, a Nickelandria fan, a Shelley's fan, like there are people in every fan base who just like it seems like y'all sit and wait for a reason to bash Shelly or Alandria. And it is like really, really fucking weird and really parasocial. And it's it's honestly so whacked me how it went from holding Huda accountable to now it being Shelly versus Alandria. Because at the end of the day, neither Shelly nor Alandria, at least from from what I've been able to see, if you can send me a clip, an article, anything to dispute this, then I will stand corrected. But at the moment, I have not seen Shelly say one negative thing about Alandria or Alandria say one negative thing about Shelly. What I have seen though, are people on both sides. People who are fans of Alandria and people who are fans of Shelly attempt to hold Shelly and Alandria accountable for things that other people have said. For example, the Ace interview with Speedy. Y'all can go back and look at the video that I posted after that video or after that interview was published. Because I said in that, in that video, if I look at it through only Ace's lens, right? I can see how you saying something to me in private, but then saying something different in public, it looks like you're not being real, it looks like you're being fake, it looks like you're not standing up business, it looks like you're switching up. I can see that. I can see where Ace is coming from. At the same time, it is not fair to look at the situation only through that lens, right? Nick, anything that Nick says publicly is going to fall back on Alandria. So when he's asked, Oh, do you think all final four couples in the finale deserve to be there? He, if he maybe he doesn't feel that way. Can he fully say that publicly? No. Because at the end of the day, people are going to use that as an excuse to hate on Alandria. So when I look at it that way, and when I look at all of the moving parts and these fan bases and you know how everyone is operating and acting, I can understand why Nick does not publicly say, maybe fully what he feels, because at the end of the day, people are going to use that as an excuse to hate on Alandria. So do I think that Ace should have said what he said in that interview publicly? No. Do I think Ace is wrong for his feelings? Also, no. Because again, if I look at it just from Ace's lens, it does look like a switch up. It does look like you're not standing on business. However, it's it's very immature, I think, to look at it just through one lens, right? You have to consider all of the moving parts. And I don't think that Ace really did that before he went on that interview. I can say that, and also at the same time understand that, you know, his feelings were probably hurt. And he acted out of emotion. And like, that's not okay. I'm not saying it is okay. I'm just saying that I understand it. However, after that interview, I also said in my video that the same way that people will hold Alandria accountable for what Nick says, people will do the same thing with Shelly. They're gonna hold Shelly accountable for what Ace said. And I said after that interview, even though I can understand where Ace is coming from and I understand from his point of view how it looks, I don't think that he should have said any of that publicly. Because not only is it going to have people hating on Alandria, it's also gonna have people hating on Shelly. And just like I fucking knew people have been at Shelly since that interview. Oh, why would Ace say that? Mind you, listen to what you're saying. You're mad at Shelly and trying to hold Shelly accountable for something that Ace said. I don't think that's fair. Number one, that's rooted in misogyny. That is absolutely rooted in misogyny to attempt to hold a woman accountable for a grown man, a grown man's actions, 1000% rooted in misogyny. I need y'all to realize that and I need y'all to unpack that. And I feel like that's happening on both sides, and it's really fucking problematic. Like, people are holding Shelly and Alandria accountable for things that other people have done, and neither one of those things is okay. Because again, and if again, if you want to send me a clip, an article, whatever, to prove me wrong, please, please do that. But I have not seen Shelly say one negative thing about Alandria or Alandria say one negative thing about Shelly, so I don't understand why it's so Alandria versus Shelly when you can support both of them. You know what I mean? Like you can you can like both of them, it doesn't have to be so polarized to the point where Alandria was the victim of racism, and it's somehow being turned to Alandria versus Shelly rather than calling out the racism. Like I'm I'm just very confused, and it's it's very much giving fever dream to me. Like, how how did we get here? How did we get to it now being people who are fans of Alandria fighting people who are fans of Shelly rather than everyone coming together to fight the racism? Like, I'm so I'm so confused. I genuinely don't know how we got here. But it's like it's very spooky, it's very spooky because the plot is just being so lost, and I I just don't understand it. I don't understand how it got to this part, and I want to take accountability also because again, I don't feel like I worded my video fully correctly, and I'll take ownership of that. I should have been more careful because I genuinely like again that video had nothing to do with Shelly, but I genuinely had no doubt that Shelly was gonna speak up for Alandria. Shelly has spoken up for Alandria and Alandria has spoken up for Shelly. They've both spoken up for each other ever since leaving the villa. So I never it never even crossed my mind that people would take my video as a way to make it about Shelly because that like genuinely she was not even on my mind when I made that video. Like I she never crossed my mind because again, I never had any doubt that Shelly would would be in Elandria's corner. I like never had any fucking doubt. But the fact that it is now becoming like Shelly's fans now fighting with Alandria's fans, like oh my god, we will never be free. Like, how how did it how did it come to this? I don't understand it. But I just wanted to say, like, you can support Shelly and Alandria at the same time. Because, and again, to my knowledge, neither one of them has ever said anything negative about the other person. Both of them are being held accountable for things that other people have said, not anything that they have said, and that is very parasocial to me and very problematic, and it just goes to further pit two black women against each other, and I fucking hate that. I hate that so much because neither one of them have done anything to deserve this hate and this vitriol and this just like disgusting behavior that they're both they're both receiving. I it's not just Shelly fans going after Alandria, it's not just Alandria fans going after Shelly, both both parties are doing it, and both are wrong. And I again don't understand how it got from holding Huda accountable for the racism to now Shelly and Alandria being pitted against each other. But I think we all like everyone needs to take a step back and realize like this is not this is not it. It was supposed to be calling out racism, and somehow it got to Shelly versus Alandria, and it's so sickening to me. It makes me so sad, it makes me so disgusted because the plot is just so violently, dangerously lost, like crazy fucking shit. So I just want to say very loudly and very clearly over here, it is always protect black women, protect Alandria, protect Shelly. There's no reason that this it should be Alandria versus Shelly at all. You there's no fucking reason because neither one of them has done anything to deserve that. Like that is so fucking sick to me, and it is it's crazy to me how quickly the plot can be lost and how the the point or the goal can be so just like misconstrued. But I just want to make sure it is it is very publicly known, it has always been and always will be protect black women. None of my pages are ever a safe space for anyone to bash Shelly, to bash Alandria. No, I it is protects black women, both black women, all black women. Forever, always. I am both Team Alandria and Team Shelly at the same time, and I need more people to understand that that is something that can happen, and that is something that should should be happening. There should it should never have ever gotten to Shelly versus Alandria because again, neither one of them have done anything to deserve that. No, not. Neither one of them have done anything to each other. And it's it's just really crazy to me how it even got here. But I just wanted to make it abundantly clear. It has always been and always will be protect black women. So I need y'all to r remember the plot and remember the goal, which is to fight racism and to protect black women. So I I really, really hope this helps. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I hope everyone's having a good week except for that orange drink lady. And I will talk to you in the next episode. Peace and love. Talk to you later. The napkin in between, hosted by Daijne Jones, produced by Daijne Jones, post production by Daijne Jones, music by Sam Champagne, and graphics by Isma Vidal. Don't forget to like and subscribe. See you next episode.