Former Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Ronda Rousey has issued her most detailed apology yet for denying involvement in the Sandy Hook school shooting after Reddit users criticized her during a Q&A session on the platform There was overwhelming criticism.
On Tuesday, Rousey participated in one of the “Ask Me Anything” discussions celebrities often have with Reddit users. soon submerged People have expressed skepticism and resentment that she spread misinformation about the 2012 attack in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 schoolchildren.
The retired mixed martial artist a statement On Friday, she decided to use one of her social media accounts to promote the 2013 Sandy Hook conspiracy theory video, calling it “the most regrettable decision of my life.”
“I didn’t even believe it, but it shocked me [about Sandy Hook] “I’m always looking for alternative fiction to replace,” Rousey said.
Rousey’s statement hinted at how she deleted the reposted video when she faced backlash and issued a tepid apology, writing: “It was never my intention to insult or hurt anyone and if anyone was offended “I’m sorry, that was not my intention at all,” but she said on Friday that she realized “the damage had been done.”
As Rousey put it, she lost count of the number of times she drafted and “re-drafted” the apology letter released Friday. She said she had been reluctant to publish the article for fear of inadvertently drawing more attention to lies about the Sandy Hook massacre.
Rousey, 37, also said she wanted to include a longer version of her apology in her recent memoir The Fight Between Us, but her publisher successfully “begged” her to remove it from the finished product over concerns it would Harmful rather than helpful.
“I’m sorry that this happened 11 years too late,” Rousey said in a statement Friday. “But to those who were affected by the Sandy Hook massacre, I am very, very sorry from the bottom of my heart and my soul for the hurt I caused.
“I can’t even imagine the pain you are in, words cannot describe how completely remorseful and ashamed I feel for the pain I have caused. I have regretted it every day since and will continue to do so until the day I die one day.
Rossi’s apology for recirculating the video comes as far-right conspiracy theorists spread false claims that the Sandy Hook killings were a hoax perpetrated by crisis actors as part of a government conspiracy to impose gun control on Americans. The most prominent of these conspiracy theorists is Infowars firebrand Alex Jones, who faces a $1.5 billion lawsuit verdict for peddling Sandy Hook lies.
Rousey came to attention in the sports world when he won a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Olympics, four years after winning a gold medal in judo at the 2004 World Youth Championships.
She is best known for becoming the UFC’s first women’s bantamweight champion. She retired from the UFC in 2016, citing a dangerous history of concussions, and was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame two years later.
Since retiring from the UFC, Rousey has been a leading figure at World Wrestling Entertainment while also dabbling in film and television.
