--- description: The performer sent racist tweets and other offensive remarks to Zayn Malik and Skai Jackson. title: Twitter Suspends Azealia Banks Following Controversial Tweetstorm image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28305f5c094865ea/698892f02dce017e5e9e90bf/azealia-banks-twitter-account-suspended.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [twitter](/tag/twitter/) ## twitter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Twitter Suspends Azealia Banks Following Controversial Tweetstorm  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 12:37 PM CUTPublished: May 12, 2016 4:54 PM CUT  Azealia Banks performs in Lisbon, Portugal in 2015. Azealia Banks performs in Lisbon, Portugal in 2015.Pedro Gomes—Redferns via Getty Images  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 13, 2023 12:37 PM CUTPublished: May 12, 2016 4:54 PM CUT Twitter suspended Azealia Banks’ account after she [tweeted accusations and racially-charged remarks](http://time.com/4327255/azealia-banks-zayn-malik-fight-controversy-rants-troll-twitter/ "undefined") to Zayn Malik and 14-year-old Disney star Skai Jackson on Wednesday. The incident started when she called out former One Direction member Malik in an [Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/p/BFO6qsqn1by/ "undefined"), insinuating he drew heavily from her music video for one of his own. She then tweeted at Zayn during an exchange, [calling him](http://time.com/4327255/azealia-banks-zayn-malik-fight-controversy-rants-troll-twitter/ "undefined") a “curry scented b—-” (Malik is of Pakistani descent), and directed [a stream of inappropriate tweets](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/11/entertainment/azealia-banks-skai-jackson/index.html "undefined") at Jackson, who got involved by telling her to “simmer down.” Attempting to visit Banks’ Twitter profile on Thursday morning brought users to [this page](https://twitter.com/account/suspended "undefined"), which says the account has been suspended. A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment to TIME about the individual account, citing privacy reasons. In addition to spam or account security at risk, Twitter [explains here](https://support.twitter.com/articles/15790 "undefined") how it will suspend a user for “Abusive Tweets or behavior.” Following Banks’ posts, the Rinse FM’s Born & Bred Festival in London announced it had [cancelled](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/11/entertainment/azealia-banks-skai-jackson/index.html "undefined") her upcoming headline performance. Meanwhile, an [internet campaign was brewing](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/azealia-banks-targets-zayn-malik-with-racist-and-homophobic-abuse-prompts-calls-for-twitter-to-a7023691.html "undefined") to get Banks’ Twitter account suspended. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4327980/twitter-suspends-azealia-banks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4327980/twitter-suspends-azealia-banks/"},"headline":"Twitter Suspends Azealia Banks Following Controversial Tweetstorm","datePublished":"2016-05-12T16:54:43.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T12:37:20.000Z","description":"The performer sent racist tweets and other offensive remarks to Zayn Malik and Skai Jackson.","url":"https://time.com/4327980/twitter-suspends-azealia-banks/","keywords":["twitter","Tech","celebrities","Technology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28305f5c094865ea/698892f02dce017e5e9e90bf/azealia-banks-twitter-account-suspended.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28305f5c094865ea/698892f02dce017e5e9e90bf/azealia-banks-twitter-account-suspended.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"azealia banks twitter account suspended","caption":"azealia banks twitter account suspended","creditText":"Pedro Gomes—Redferns via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/twitter/","name":"twitter"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4327980/twitter-suspends-azealia-banks/","name":"Twitter Suspends Azealia Banks Following Controversial Tweetstorm"}}]}] ```