Filipino-American content creator Brandon Espiritu has acknowledged that his controversial "halfies" remark was inappropriate, following criticism from social media users who interpreted the comment as disparaging to full-blooded Filipinos.

In an interview with content creator Eren Wayne Jr., Espiritu discussed the backlash and his decision to temporarily step away from social media.

"I just feel like a little solo trip, keep my head right, re-center," Espiritu said while explaining a recent trip to Japan. "Osaka is kind of like a healing place for me."

As to the controversy generated by a comment he posted on Instagram, he said, "A lot of Filipinos got really mad about that. They thought that I was basically saying full Filipinos are less than half-Filipinos in general. But I was just basically speaking in context about pageantry." 

The social media personality said he understood why the comment was criticized and admitted that it was a mistake.

"It was an arrogant comment. I should not have dropped that, and I do respect my country, my people," Espiritu said. "I definitely see where I went wrong."

According to Espiritu, the volume of negative comments prompted him to deactivate his social media accounts and take a break from online platforms.

The controversy began after Espiritu wrote, "Tell that to all the frontrunners for the Philippines. This country wouldn’t have a chance on the national stage without us 'halfies,'" in response to an online discussion. The remark was widely criticized by users who viewed it as suggesting that mixed-race Filipinos are superior to full-blooded Filipinos.

During the same interview, Espiritu also encouraged people facing personal or professional difficulties to find support in their faith.

"If sh*t hits the fan — whether it’s money, your career, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, anything external that you can’t control — you could still find confidence in God, in your faith," he said.

The issue also drew attention to comments made by fellow Filipino-American pageant titleholder Jether Palomo, who faced criticism after responding to Espiritu's Instagram post about "halfies" and stating that he pledges allegiance to the American flag.