Hannah Brown has broken her silence.
The former Bachelorette is back on social media after her controversial apology for saying the N-word. On Saturday, Brown took to her Instagram Live to get candid about her actions and what she has been doing in the last two weeks to better herself.
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"I had to put in some work and I had to go through a process," Brown expressed, adding that she knows people are asking, "Why now? Why did it take me so long?"
"I had a lot that I needed to figure out," she said. "What I did was extremely serious…I have been on a journey these past two weeks."
Brown also said that she realized she never had critical conversations about race and even hired an educator to help her have these tough conversations.
"I don't want to be an ignorant white girl who uses the N-word," Brown expressed. "I learned that I have to take responsibility and accountability for my actions…I have learned that there are things I cannot say."
"From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry," Brown added, saying she didn't mean to offend anyone. "It has been so eye opening…There's a lot of people angry and rightfully so, but I don't want to be a part of that anymore."
Brown made headlines after singing the slur in DaBaby's "Rockstar" on Instagram Live on Saturday. When fans called out Brown on the stream, she initially denied she had said it, before offering a half-hearted apology. The next afternoon, she issued a statement on her Instagram Story, saying there was "no excuse" for the "unacceptable" language she had used.
"I owe you all a major apology. There is no excuse and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt I have caused. I own it all. I am terribly sorry and know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better," she wrote.
Then, Rachel Lindsay -- the Bachelor franchise's first and only black lead -- spoke out about Brown's behavior and apology on Instagram Live. The attorney slammed Brown's apology, sharing that she had contacted Brown, and wanted her to address her use of the N-word on camera.
"It's easy to make a statement. It's easy to hide behind words, but when you're bold enough to say the N-word on camera, on your platform... then you need be bold enough to use your face on camera and apologize in the same way you said the word," Lindsay shared, adding she was "personally hurt and offended that I gave somebody the opportunity to do that, and it wasn't done."
A source told ET on Monday that Lindsay and Brown had a lengthy phone conversation, and agreed what the best approach would be for how Brown should respond. Then, at the last minute, the source said Brown backed out.
Lindsay wanted a live conversation with Brown to happen, to create an open dialogue and get into the gravity of using that word, the source said. Lindsay was ready to support her in that conversation and thought it could be an opportunity for change.
According to the source, Lindsay felt that because Brown didn't speak out on camera, at this point she's allowing her followers to be her voice.
Tyler Cameron, Bekah Martinez and more Bachelor Nation stars also condemned Brown's use of the N-word. See more on the former pageant queen in the video below.
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