New York City first lady Rama Duwaji has publicly apologized for a series of offensive social media posts she authored as a teenager, following the discovery of old accounts that contained slurs and inflammatory rhetoric. The apology, as reported by The Hill, addresses comments that were unearthed in March and drew immediate scrutiny regarding her past behavior and current standing.
The social media activity in question dates back to when Duwaji was approximately 15 years old. The content, which was reported on by various outlets, included the use of the n-word and a gay slur. In one specific post from June 16, 2013, she wrote, “Whyyyyyy are all these fgts folllowing [sic] meeeeeeeee.”
Another post from February 2, 2013, featured the use of a racial slur. Beyond the use of slurs, the unearthed history included posts about international politics, specifically regarding Israel and Palestine. In one instance, she directed a post at Snapchat, stating, “Hey @Snapchat show them children locked in cages overnight, burned alive and starved to death in Palestine. #TelAviv”
Duwaji, who is the wife of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, reflected on the situation during her recent interview
“This experience has absolutely changed my life. I am still figuring out how it applies to me as an artist and as a person, both thinking of the future and the past. It has forced me to confront how much I’ve changed, even before this moment,” she explained.
“When a tabloid recently published old tweets I wrote as a teenager, I felt a lot of shame being confronted with language I used that is so harmful to others; being 15 doesn’t excuse it. I’ve read and seen a lot of what others have had to say in response, and I understand the hurt I caused and am truly sorry,” she added.
The controversy deepened following reports that her X account contained posts celebrating Palestinian figures, including Shadia Abu Ghazaleh, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. In March 2015, when Duwaji was 17, she reposted a photo of Ghazaleh holding a rifle to commemorate International Women’s Day.
Ghazaleh was killed in 1968 while constructing a bomb that was intended for use in Tel Aviv. Furthermore, she reposted a thread in 2015 that criticized Snapchat for featuring Tel Aviv on its platform, which included the phrase, “Fuck #TelAviv. Shouldn’t exist in the first place. They’re occupiers. You celebrate them.”
In the wake of these reports, the X account associated with the first lady was deleted on Thursday afternoon. A separate, older Tumblr account belonging to Duwaji also drew attention for having been overrun with pornographic content, though the lewd material appeared to have been removed by Friday, suggesting the profile might have been reclaimed.
Mayor Mamdani, whose administration has frequently dealt with issues surrounding race and religion, addressed the situation by noting his wife’s status as a private citizen. He stated that she is a “private person, who has held no position in my campaign or in my city hall…” The mayor himself has faced political backlash, particularly from Republicans, for his participation in religious ceremonies at city hall. Similarly, Duwaji has faced criticism for her own public statements regarding Palestine.
Despite the controversy, Duwaji remains focused on her work as an artist. She emphasized the importance of her creative output during the interview. “Everything is political: what we choose to show, what we choose to omit, the stories we highlight and the ones we leave in the margins. It has and will continue to be important for me to reflect the times around me as an artist,” she said.
Looking ahead, she noted that the experience has influenced her professional outlook. “If anything, having this position makes me more committed to being honest and attentive, to making work that is complex. It feels like it would be doing it a disservice to not be the artist that got me to this point,” she concluded.
Published: Apr 16, 2026 06:15 pm