Tessa Blanchard has issued the following statement on Twitter concerning the racism allegations against her over the weekend.

Blanchard’s statement reads:

"Over the last week I have been accused of calling a fellow wrestler a racial slur. To read this allegation has been personally upsetting. To be clear, I absolutely did not use that word. That word is not in my vocabulary. That word is not in my heart. Racism is not in my heart.

Yet I know many people have to deal with racism in a way I will never have to. Racism is an awful part of American history, and it is equally awful that it’s still part of our society today. While I did not do what was claimed, I stand ready to use my platform to support the fight against racism however I can."

I hope everyone will take a moment to read this. pic.twitter.com/gRPUlCYd6a

, Tessa Blanchard (@Tess_Blanchard) January 17, 2020