Munroe Bergdorf, a British model, and transgender activist, who was ousted from a L’Oréal campaign in 2017 for speaking out against systemic racism, announced today that she has a new role with the beauty group as a consultant on its U.K. Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board.
The news comes days after Munroe called out L’Oréal for gaslighting. The French company shared a social media post that called for solidarity in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and Munroe responded by saying “its not ok.”
“Where was my support when I spoke out? Where was my apology?” she wrote in an Instagram post. “This is gaslighting,” said Munroe who noted it would only be a matter of time before “racist brands” saw a window of PR opportunity.
Today Munroe provided an update on her fragmented relationship with the brand, and she says she’s “looking forward to new beginnings.”
“This week, I spoke with L’Oréal Paris new president, Delphine Viguier, who reached out to me directly. 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,” Monroe wrote in a statement she shared to Twitter.
I have spoken with @loreal, please swipe for full statement.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
— Black Lives Matter 
(@MunroeBergdorf) June 9, 2020
“As an activist, part of my work is to encourage big businesses to understand their responsibility with regards to diversity and inclusion. 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 decision making roles, to reduce oversight and to create a product that is built with all people in mind,” Monroe added.
The change-maker says the consultancy role is the perfect opportunity to practice what she preaches, and she’s hopeful that the opportunity will give her a chance to champion for trans and queer voices in the beauty industry.
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