Mike Johnson Addresses Hannah Brown ‘N-Word’ Controversy, Hopes It Will Be A Teachable Moment

Mike Johnson, who appeared on Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette, addressed the current controversy she is involved in after using the N-word. While he emphasized that her use of the word was not appropriate, he said he hopes this can be an opportunity for her to learn and do better, according to TMZ.

Even though he did not receive her final rose, Brown and Johnson ended things on positive terms during the show and appeared to be on cordial terms ever since. When asked for his response regarding her current scandal, Johnson did not defend her behavior, but he didn’t necessarily slam her either. Rather, he expressed his desire that this be a teaching moment for all, particularly upon the topic of racism and how it still exists in the United States.

“What Hannah did was unacceptable. Issues like this bring light to the bridge of pop culture and racism within our country. I’m inviting her and everyone to a conversation, in hopes to educate everyone that this type of behavior needs to be changed and is unacceptable. My aim is that in this moment we don’t divide, we come together, learn from this and create change for the better.”

Because he is African American himself, Johnson has been pushed to make a statement regarding the issue ever since the controversial video first came out on Sunday. In the video in question, Brown was filming an Instagram live and was trying to recall the lyrics to rapper DaBaby’s hit song “Rockstar”. She was accused of singing the lyric that included the N-word. When called out, she initially seemed confused and denied that she had used the derogatory term. She later issued an apology.

In the days following, Bachelor alums like Rachel Lindsay and Tyler Cameron addressed the issue on social media, but Johnson initially kept quiet and did not get involved in the drama. Some people even accused him of not standing by Lindsay and supporting her in how she addressed the statement. Thus, he felt compelled to share his opinion publicly when called upon by TMZ.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, Brown has remained quiet on social media since issuing her apology on Sunday.

“I owe you all a major apology. There is no excuse, and I will not justify what I said,” she wrote in a message she shared to her Instagram story.

Brown noted that she read the messages people had sent her and acknowledged the hurt she had caused.