L'Oréal Paris is planning to donate almost £45,000 ($57,300) to LGBT+ charities following accusations of "gaslighting" in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Last week, trans model Munroe Bergdorf called the brand "racist snakes" and accused similar brands of jumping "on the bandwagon" with regard to Black Lives Matter.
On Tuesday, Bergdorf, who was L'Oréal's first transgender ambassador, released a statement outlining "regret" from L'Oréal Paris's president at the circumstances surrounding her disassociation from the brand.
I have spoken with @loreal, please swipe for full statement.
— Black Lives Matter ??? (@MunroeBergdorf) June 9, 2020
Thank you everyone for having my back with this matter over the past three years, it hasn't been easy.
Looking forward to new beginnings and a new positive relationship with the L'Oreal team.
Munroe x pic.twitter.com/DxltLF8Z7j
"This week, I spoke to L'Oréal Paris new president Delphine Viguier, who reached out to me directly," Bergdorf wrote. "We had an open and constructive conversation, she listened to what I had to say and expressed her regret for how the situation was handled three years ago."
L'Oréal parted ways with Bergdorf in 2017 after she spoke out about the racism at the Unite the Right rally, at which three people died, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
According to Bergdorf, the brand is set to release a statement announcing a €25,000 (£22,000/$28,000) donation to Mermaids, a charity that supports gender-varient and transgender youth in the U.K., as well as a €25,000 ($28,000) donation to U.K. Black Pride.
"As an activist, part of my work is to encourage big businesses to understand their responsibility with regards to diversity and inclusion," she said. "It’s imperative that, in all industries, a wide range of people from different backgrounds and experiences are in the room at all levels and in decision-making roles, to reduce oversight and to create a product that is built with all people in mind."
Bergdorf also said that she has been offered a consultancy role on L'Oréal Paris’ diversity and inclusion advisory board, something that she hailed as "the perfect opportunity to practise what I preach."
"Over the past three years, I have realized my responsibility as an activist is to help to unite us as people, regardless of our identity," she added. "We are all in an exciting time of change. I hope this reconciliation is proof that we can all find a way to put aside our differences and work together to push for a more progressive, fair and equal world."
This story first appeared on campaignlive.co.uk.
