Azealia Banks attempts to explain 'homophobic' and 'racist' Twitter tirade against Zayn Malik

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Azealia Banks has attempted to explain why she launched into a lengthy tirade and sent racist and homophobic insults to Zayn Malik.

The overnight Twitter storm began on Tuesday when she suggested the former One Direction singer’s new video was influenced by her work. Malik then posted two tweets which Banks believed to be about her.

She then embarked on a rant which included racist and homophobic insults. After being told to “simmer down” by Disney actress Skai Jackson, Banks turned her attention to her, calling the 14-year-old a “little black b*tch”.

On Wednesday evening, Banks posted screengrabs of messages she had written to a blogger where she tried to explain her words and actions.

The 24-year-old said she tweeted at Malik because she was “angry” and wanted to “remind him that we’re both in the same boat in this industry and people of colour”.

Focusing on her tweets about Jackson, Banks said she believed it was Jackson’s mother behind the computer - although there does not appear to be any reason for this - which is why she was more forceful in her tweets. She claimed Jackson’s mother should spend time “trying to hone in on [her] daughter’s artistic skills rather than try and force this over-sexualised image of a little girl onto the public”.

She followed up with three further tweets:

The tweets are all that is left on Banks’ Twitter timeline after she deleted the majority of her history following the backlash.

Banks was trending throughout Wednesday morning and there were calls for her Twitter account to be suspended for directing racial slurs at Malik.

The New York-based rapper called Malik a “curry scented b*tch” and said: “Imma start calling you punjab you dirty b**ch”.

She later issued an apology to anyone who "took offence" to her tweets but insisted this apology was not meant for Malik or Jackson.

“Big apologies to anyone who was offended by any of the things I said. Not sorry I said it. But sorry for the way I made people feel.

“Everyone except the targets of my tirades,” she wrote.