Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan apologizes for using racial slur after video surfaces

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 10: Joe Rogan introduces fighters during the UFC 269 ceremonial weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - Spotify’s popular U.S. podcaster Joe Rogan apologized Saturday after a video compilation surfaced that showed him using racial slurs in clips of episodes over a 12-year span.

In a video posted on his Instagram account, Rogan, who hosts a podcast called "The Joe Rogan Experience," said his use of the slurs was the "most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly." But he said the clips were "taken out of context."

"It’s not my word to use. I am well aware of that now, but for years I used it in that manner," he said during the six-minute video on his Instagram account. "I never used it to be racist because I’m not racist."

Rogan’s mea culpa follows Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter India.Arie’s announcement on Thursday that she was removing her music from the Spotify streaming service because of racial slurs that Rogan had made during his podcasts. She posted the video montage of Rogan’s clips on her Instagram account.

Joe Rogan is moving his popular podcast exclusively to Spotify

The show has been known to cover a wide variety of topics and has even sparked controversy for some of its guests, including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

In her video, Arie said even if some of Rogan’s conversations were taken out of context, "he shouldn’t be uttering the word."

"Don’t even say it under any context," she added.

Rogan’s apology comes as Spotify is promising to combat the spread of COVID-19 misinformation as part of a damage-control campaign sparked by musician Neil Young, who called out the streaming service’s top podcaster for magnifying vaccine skepticism.

Last Sunday, Spotify said it will soon add a warning before all podcasts that discuss COVID-19, directing listeners to factual, up-to-date information from scientists and public health experts. The company also aims to bolster transparency about its publishing decisions by laying out the rules it uses to protect users’ safety.

Spotify garnered 31% of the 524 million worldwide music stream subscriptions in the second quarter of 2021, more than double that of second-place Apple Music, according to Midia Research. Spotify isn’t always popular with musicians, many of whom complain that it doesn’t pay them enough for their work.

Arie said on her video that Spotify is built on the back of the music streaming business and that it uses that money to reward Rogan in a lucrative deal. She said she doesn’t want to generate money that pays for the podcaster.

"Just take me off," she said.

Spotify didn’t respond immediately for request for comment.