in february 2018, bergdorf claimed that 'white people as a group are brought up racist', stating: "most of y’all don’t even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour." bergdorf attracted further public attention following an article in "the daily mail" highlighting facebook comments that she had made, which included the claim that all white people were guilty of "racial violence" and that the white race was "the most violent and oppressive force of nature on earth." in response to bergdorf's comments, l'oréal dropped her from their campaign on 1 september 2017. they issued a statement that the company "supports diversity and tolerance towards all people irrespective of their race, background, gender and religion" and that bergdorf's comments about white people were "at odds with those values". facebook removed her posts from their website, regarding them as being in contravention to its rules against hate speech. bergdorf said she also faced online harassment, much of it of a racist and transphobic nature. other commentators argued that "the daily mail" had quoted her out of context, and that her wider point about white supremacy and white privilege in western societies was valid and needed wider dissemination. bergdorf defended her position, arguing that she was angry after the scenes in the unite the right rally in charlottesville and wanted to explain that racism was systemic, and that being racist was not just about attacking people, but failing to take action against the system. she added: "i don't see how calling out the roots of racism, somehow makes you a racist", calling the controversy the "worst time of my life".