After days of backlash, Meghan Trainor apologized for saying “fuck teachers” on her podcast last week and said she was “being careless”. [her] words.”
The “All About That Bass” singer took to TikTok on Sunday and said, “Tiktok teachers and teachers of the world, I said ‘F teachers’ on the podcast recently. And I don’t feel that way. I’m fired because it’s horrible to send your child to school here in America and We were talking about what all of us, especially teachers, have to put up with is not normal and right.
The backlash against Trainor arose on the April 19 episode of the podcast Workin’ On It when she talked about her decision to homeschool her children amid the escalation of gun violence in schools. (The pop star and her husband, Daryl Sabara, gave birth to a baby boy in 2021 and are currently expecting baby #2.)
“We homeschool our kids,” she said on the Grammy-winning podcast. “Fuck that. Everyone at TikTok said, ‘This is what it’s like to have kids in America. I have a bulletproof backpack.’ I was like, ‘Fuck them all’.
Trainor’s guest on the episode, YouTuber Trisha Paytas, added that she experienced trauma from other students and teachers when she was younger, and Trainor replied, “Fuck the teachers, dude.”
Trainor revealed in her apology video that she and Paytas mentioned specific teachers she and Paytas had had bad experiences with. “There was Trisha Paytas on the podcast and I knew about her history with her teachers,” she said. “I also knew about my husband’s history with his teachers. And I was bullied by some teachers.”
“So at that moment I got angry and said ‘Teachers K’. It was for those specific people at the time, but I didn’t mean it for all teachers,” he continued.
The 29-year-old actress began to receive reactions on social media after the controversial episode aired. A TikTok featuring her individual quotes went viral, with several teachers and other users criticizing Trainor in the comments section. “Please try teaching in a public school for a day,” one user replied. “There’s a war against education, and it’s scary,” wrote another.
Trainor added on her TikTok on Sunday that she “loves” and “fights for” teachers, admitting that they “have the hardest job and are the least paid.”
“I don’t want to make excuses,” he added. “I’m so sorry for the teachers I made you feel bad about. And I will remind myself that my words can certainly have consequences, and I will be more careful. I love you all. I’m so sorry again. Thank you all for helping me.”
Not everyone is ready to accept Trainor’s apology, as many TikTokers, including trainers, have since posted videos that further criticize Trainor’s comments. Regardless of whether the teachers in her fanbase will forgive her or not, the singer and mom definitely learned a valuable lesson.