Acting responsibly on social media is crucial to your future as it can significantly impact your personal and professional reputation. Your past tweets or posts can come back to haunt you, even if they were made years ago.
The internet is forever, and anything you post online can be easily found and shared. This can lead to severe consequences, such as loss of job opportunities, damage to relationships, and even legal issues.
The latest example: TikTok chef Wayman Wesley.
He is also known as Chef Way. He has been accused of using social media to harass and attack black women through a series of old tweets that have resurfaced.
The tweets, posted under a now-deleted account in 2015 and 2016, have caused an uproar on social media. Many are calling for Wesley to lose his job as an assistant district attorney (D.A.) in Harris County, Houston.
Harris County, where Wesley is employed as a D.A., is the third-most populous county in the United States, with a population of over 4.7 million people.
The county is home to Houston, the fourth-most populous city in the country. The tweets in question, disparaging and insulting black women, have been described as colorist, anti-black, and misogynistic.
Wesley has apologized for the tweets, stating that he has changed his ways.
He wrote, “To those I’ve hurt with my past tweets, I’m deeply sorry. That was a moment in my life where I was sick in more ways than one. Cooking saved me. You watched a flawed man, but I will continue to heal and learn. Thanks for being along for the journey.”
In a statement, Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg said, “These posts were inappropriate and offensive and do not reflect my values or those of the Harris County D.A.’s office.”
Ogg went on to say, “Mister Wesley has explained that these posts came during a period in which he was struggling with serious personal issues, including alcohol addiction, prior to joining our office. Mister Wesley went through treatment and has worked with the state bar of Texas to resolve his issues. His recovery is ongoing. I’m a believer in second chances. And Mister Wesley has conducted himself professionally since joining our staff. I’m confident that will continue.”
Despite Wesley’s apology and explanation, the backlash continues, and at least one brand partnership he had through TikTok has ended.
This incident highlights the potential consequences of past offensive social media posts and the importance of personal accountability and growth.