Sophia Culpo, the younger sister of model and influencer Olivia Culpo, is making headlines after a recent TikTok post sparked accusations of racism.
The 28-year-old model shared a now-deleted video of herself holding her baby niece, Lila, who is the daughter of Sophia’s older brother, Pete Culpo.
The Controversial Caption That Ignited Backlash
In the video, Sophia captioned the post with the words, “When the Culpo genes beat out the Asian genes.
Say hi to my baby niece Lila!! She looks EXACTLY like my brother, even though she’s Filipino.”
The comment quickly raised eyebrows, with many accusing her of making a racially insensitive remark.
Sophia’s brother, Pete, married Katie Trainor, a Filipino woman, in 2019.
This fact only added to the tension surrounding the comment, as viewers were quick to point out the problematic nature of the caption, which seemingly disregarded Lila’s Filipino heritage.
Reactions Pour In, With Many Calling It “Racist”
Although the post was swiftly deleted, it was already too late—screenshots of the video had already made their way around social media.
One content creator who shared the video pointed out the potential racism, explaining that while Sophia may not have intended to offend, the comment was still problematic.
“I think she just didn’t realize what she was saying,” the creator said.
“She took it down almost immediately after the backlash started pouring in.”
But others were less forgiving, with many commenters questioning Sophia’s choice of words.
“Why would she say that? Why would she ever, why, why?” one person wrote.
Another simply said, “That’s insane to say.”
A Divided Opinion: Some Defend Sophia
Despite the widespread criticism, there were a few who defended Sophia’s comment, arguing that it wasn’t racist.
“I’m Filipino and I don’t find that racist,” one commenter stated, while another echoed the sentiment, saying, “As a Filipino, I don’t think it was racist. At all lol.”
Some individuals even shared that similar comments about family heritage had been made in their own families without any ill intentions.
“The white genes beat out the Filipino genes in my family, and we all say that out loud,” a Filipino commenter shared in defense.
Sophia Culpo’s Silence in the Aftermath
In the wake of the controversy, Sophia Culpo has not publicly addressed the backlash.
As of now, her representatives have not issued a statement, and the model has remained silent on social media regarding the incident.
It remains unclear whether she will speak out or issue an apology.
The incident has raised questions about the line between innocent comments and racially insensitive remarks, leaving many to wonder how such comments will be handled moving forward.