Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Sansho Scott/BFA.com/Shutterstock
Matilda Djerf is back online, five days after she was accused of bullying, showing favoritism, and fat-shaming her Djerf Avenue employees in a bombshell report published in Swedish newspaper The evening paper. The influencer and entrepreneur posted a good ol’ fashioned Notes-app apology to her Instagram feed, seemingly speaking directly to her 3 million fans and followers, after making a public statement to news outlets late last week.
“Over the past few days, I’ve been quiet on social media. My highest priority has been to meet with the Djerf Avenue team and speak to them. I am full aware that my words here are not an answer or a solution, but for me it’s important to write this directly to you,” the Instagram statement reads. “To anyone who I’ve hurt or let down, I want to start by saying that I’m genuinely sorry. When I started Djerf Avenue I never expected that the company would be what it is today, with so many team members and so much responsibility. I wasn’t ready. I had never led a team prior to this, I had never built a company, and under. lot of stress, high tempo, and naivety I failed to be the leader and colleague I wish to be along the way. And for that I am so, so sorry. I wish my growth happened faster. I really want to underline that I’m extremely committed to getting it right and continuing growing.”
As hundreds of Instagram users pointed out in the comments section, Djerf did not explicitly deny any of the accusations, the most alarming being that Djerf allegedly reserved a specific toilet for herself and her “favorite” employees. When an unauthorized employee used the toilet, she made them scrub it as punishment. The report also claimed Djerf swore at her employees, made them cry, and responded negatively to campaign photos featuring a plus-size model. One accuser quoted in the The evening paper exposé even described the workplace culture as “psychological terror.”
In her Instagram statement, Djerf assured fans and followers that she and her team are “constantly working on improving and developing the internal business, everything from structures that need to be set in place to new initiatives.”
“This is ongoing work and this year we’ve made some important changes to improve the work culture at Djerf Avenue. Amongst other things, we have hired a more experienced management team, we have introduced monthly anonymous surveys to collect feedback and take action, we have also set up an external organizational psychologist to access our workplace. We are also in the process of bringing in an additional external HR professional to support the organisation,” the statement read.
This echoes what Djerf Avenue chief operating officer Pernilla Bonny said in a statement last week. “We are aware that there have been challenges in our workplace environment, and we have taken responsible and structured steps to address these issues,” she told the Cut, adding that the team is taking a “comprehensive approach to improving the workplace environment” at Djerf Avenue.
Djerf concluded her Instagram statement by reiterating the fact that she is committed to “becoming the best leader and colleague” she can be.
“I’ll keep learning and working to ensure Djerf Avenue is a safe, inclusive space for everyone. I want to end by saying thank you to all of you who’ve had honest and transparent conversations with me over the past few days.” Sounds like she is “listening and learning.” Keep at it.
