In a statement published on Stuff Entertainment, Julia admitted she “wasn't thinking” about the harsh wording of her remark.
“I wasn't thinking, I made a mistake and I have apologized to Michelle for my remark,” Julia said. “There is no excuse for using offensive words under any circumstances and I have learned from this foolish mistake.”
She earlier told NZ Herald: “There is no excuse for using offensive words under any circumstances and I have learned from this foolish mistake.”
Sloane added that she was “moving on” from the “distressing experience.”
New Zealand's Race Relations Commissioner, Susan Devoy also released a statement to Stuff in regards to the racist remark.
“I do not think that ignorant, overt racist behavior is part of Kiwi culture so we all need to call it out when it rears its very ugly head,” the official wording read. “People like Julia need to understand that using words like that is not how we roll here. That is not us.”
Last week, NZ Herald reported the slur was made when cast member Gilda Kirkpatrick asked Michelle to help her up from below deck.
Julia, who was standing nearby, then reportedly remarked: “She's not your boat n*****.”
A sneak peek preview for the episode shows Sloane in tears as the gravity of her actions dawn on her. She also says in her on-camera confessional: “It’s an old boating term. I should never have said it.”
Since the incident become public knowledge, Julia and Michelle have reportedly hired lawyers and public relation officers in a bid to defend their image.