Did Noah Schnapp Sing The 'N-word': Here's The Truth Behind the Actor's Resurfaced 2020 Video

Noah Schnapp, best known for his role in Stranger Things, has once again found himself in hot water. Previously, in November, the young actor faced calls for a boycott after his past pro-Israel comments resurfaced. Following the release of the first volume of the series, a video showing him parading a sticker reading 'Zionism is sexy' and 'Hamas is ISIS' also re-emerged.

Now, a separate video from 2020 has surfaced, with allegations that Schnapp can be heard singing the 'N-word'. The resurfaced footage has prompted renewed criticism and raised questions about accountability in the entertainment industry.

Noah Schnapp Singing The 'N-word'

In the 2020 video, Schnapp can be seen on a bus singing along to Freaky Friday, a song by Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown. Friends accompany him and appear to be enjoying themselves as they sing together.

During one part of the song, which includes a racial slur — the 'N-word', sung in Chris Brown's verse — the internet has accused the Stranger Things star of singing along, with some claiming he was fully mouthing the lyrics and pouring his heart out.

The video was originally reshared in 2023 by X user @QueSleeze, who posted it in a reply to another clip showing Schnapp with the 'Zionism is sexy' and 'Hamas is ISIS' stickers. The post went on to garner over one million views.

The controversy did not end there. As anticipation for the Stranger Things finale continued to build ahead of its release on New Year's Day, X user @PopClocked reshared the video once again. The clip has since been circulating widely online following the release of the final season.

They captioned the post: 'An old Noah Schnapp video in which he sings "N***a, n***er" repeatedly has resurfaced along with the "z*onism is sexy" stickers he promoted and gave away back in November 2023 to underage people.'

READ MORE: What Is a Zionist? Stranger Things Star Noah Schnapp's Pro-Israel Views Trigger Boycott Calls as Prague Set Vandalism Goes Viral

The Internet's Reaction To Noah Schnapp's Video

Commenters were quick to respond. One said, 'The levels of entitlement in white kids must be studied.'

Another one added, 'Bro even stressed the hard R in the last one. Wtf [what the f*ck].'

One netizen accused the young actor of racism, writing: '"Omg he's just singing a song" he's saying the n word, and he's a white man, he is racist,' before continuing that Schnapp was 'barely singing to rest of the song but those part.'

The user went on to dismiss any defence of the actor, adding: 'And don't come to me and say "he didn't know better" stop babying him, he knows what he said is wrong and did it anyway. He is racist.'

Schnapp's Response: 'Neighbour' Not the Slur

When the video first went viral in 2020, Schnapp quickly addressed the backlash. On Instagram, he apologised and denied using the slur, claiming he had substituted the word 'neighbour'.

He wrote: 'Hi guys. Recently, a video from last summer has gotten out of me dancing and singing a song while singing the word "neighbour" over the N-word'.

Schnapp insisted that he would never say such a thing, 'I would truly never say the N-word and I'm not the type of person. I genuinely have never used that word in my life. Using the word "neighbour" in that song was just something my camp friends and I did.'

He further defended his friends, saying they would not tolerate him using the slur. 'I hope you all understand I could never even think about doing that. My friends also would never post a video, or support me, if I were saying that slur without hesitation,' he said.

He also apologised for using the replacement word, adding: 'It is not my place to use one and I should have kept my mouth shut. I understand why it is found offensive, and I am so sorry.'

Schnapp has remained silent on the resurfaced video, leaving audiences to draw their own conclusions.

But the bigger question remains: does replacing a racial slur with a word like 'neighbour' make it any less harmful if the intent is clear? If context or excuses such as 'just having fun' are used to justify it, where should the line be drawn — and can intent ever excuse a word that has caused generations of pain through racism and slavery?