If WWE was hoping that the Lars Sullivan controversy would just quietly go away without them taking action, it looks like their hand may be forced in another direction.
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For those not up to date, Sullivan made some incredibly racist, sexist, and homophobic comments on the Bodybuilding.com message board years ago. All of his statements were compiled recently into a virtual anthology by a user on Reddit and there’s no way you can read through everything he said without coming away in disgust.
While it’s true that nearly everyone has made some comments while they were young that they end up wishing they hadn’t, it’s clear that Sullivan’s words were well thought out by him at the time and not just offhand remarks. Secondly, the comments were made when he was well into his 20s, so we’re not talking about an immature teenager here.
Sullivan did own up to his past comments on Friday in a statement to Wrestling Inc.:
“There is no excuse for the inappropriate remarks that I made years ago. They do not reflect my personal beliefs nor who I am today, and I apologize to anyone I offended.”
While Big E had previously acknowledged that the WWE locker room had been aware of Sullivan’s past, a new WWE star spoke out on Friday about the situation: Kalisto.
He just needs to get out of my way….I’m Latino….👊🏽 https://t.co/HLIZ6jqLrt
— KALISTO (@KalistoWWE) May 9, 2019
Lastly, one of WWE’s biggest sponsors (Mars Wrigley Confectionery) was contacted by another Reddit user about Sullivan’s comments and if they were aware. They have since given a response to the situation, which was published by the user on Reddit:
“Dear Loyal Consumer,
Thank you for reaching out to Mars Wrigley Confectionery with your comments.
We learned of Lars Sullivan’s comments recently and share in your shock and disgust. As a values-based company, we find his behavior abhorrent and unacceptable. We have engaged the WWE to discuss this situation and seek to understand what actions they will take to swiftly address this matter.
We hope this information is helpful and wish you a great day!
Your Friends at Mars Wrigley Confectionery”
RAW and SmackDown take place this week in London, England. It will be interesting to see whether Sullivan is indeed involved in those shows or if WWE decides to take further action given the growing intensity of the controversy.
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