TikTok creator Tinx, whose real name is Christina Najjar, is facing backlash after the internet resurfaced “fat-phobic” and “xenophobic” tweets from the social media influencer, some dating as recently as 2020.
The Los Angeles-based podcaster grew a following of more than 1.5m on the app as TikTok’s unofficial “big sister” by dishing out advice, posting “rich mom starter packs”, and embracing self-love and body positivity.
Images of the controversial tweets originally surfaced on the subreddit r/tinxsnark and were brought to light by journalist Sophie Ross via Substack, Twitter, and an appearance on the podcast So Bad It’s Good with Ryan Bailey.
A collection of tweets from 2012 to 2014 showed Najjar calling women “fat” and “ugly,” including Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan.
“Kim Kardashian is so fat I don’t know what to do with myself #oops,” said one from 2012.
“Fat people at Coachella LOL,” read another from 2013.
In 2015, two tweets showed the influencer misgendering Caitlyn Jenner after the former Olympian came out as a transgender woman.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Najjar liked and retweeted several tweets expressing xenophobic views against Chinese people in relation to the virus, while other tweets expressed her conservative political views.
“Interesting disparity between #TheresaMay and #Hillary TM seems like a real politician whereas HRC comes across as an exhausted show horse,” she tweeted in 2016.
As news of Najjar’s previous comments and conservative political views spread online, former fans of the social media influencer took to TikTok and Instagram to leave disapproving comments under her videos and posts, and leave one-star ratings for her podcast It’s Me, Tinx.
“This is sad,” said one former fan. “I really loved your podcast and your content and you really crafted an entire persona around practicing kindness.”
One supportive fan of Najjar wrote: “We need to realise that people can grow. She liked an opinion piece about Covid when we had very little info on how it started.”
After Najjar’s controversial tweets resurfaced, one TikTok user also decided to shed light on Najjar’s social media commentary from the 2018 Met Gala, which the content creator had posted to her Instagram story at the time.
“I’ve seen a lot of discourse online that Tinx’s old, mean tweets from 2012 should be excused because she was 21 and they’re old, so I bring you her 2018 Met Gala commentary,” the TikTok user said before introducing a series of screenshots from Najjar’s Instagram highlight reel.
In one image of Kendall Jenner’s white jumpsuit from the red carpet event, Najjar wrote: “I see being a boring loser runs in the family. Nice of you to wrap toilet paper around your boobs for the most important night of the year.”
Throughout the series of Instagram posts, Najjar did not hold back her opinions on the looks worn by Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, and more.
The 30-year-old content creator apologised for the “nasty, mean, horrible” tweets in a statement posted to her Instagram on 24 April.
“I always say if you’re not cringing at yourself a year ago you aren’t growing. I’m more than cringing / I’m beyond embarrassed and I want to take accountability,” she began the post.
“About 10 years ago I sent some truly nasty, mean, horrible tweets. I called people that I had never met fat, pathetic, and ugly. I even called Kim Kardashian fat which is ironic considering she is my number one idol and person I look up to,” she continued. “When I read the tweets back I was ashamed and embarrassed. They are mean spirited and I am not mean spirited - but I used to be.”
Najjar explained that she published the tweets when she was 21 years old and “deeply, deeply insecure” with her body, and wanted “to get a laugh.”
“If you’ve been following me for even a little bit you know that they are not representative of who I am. I am very sorry,” she added. “I am a work in progress.”
While Najjar apologised for commenting on women’ bodies in her resurfaced tweets, she has yet to address the xenophobic comments liked and shared on Twitter in relation to Covid-19. The apology has also done little to quell the backlash, as former supporters have continued to criticise the influencer for the controversial comments.
“Wish you were more honest here. Some of the tweets are from 2020. Two years ago,” one person wrote in the comments under the apology post, while another said: “Nice try. Now address the rest.”
The Independent has contacted Najjar for comment.
