Eleven years after she shared a video that touted conspiracy theories in regards to the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has issued an apology.
In a prolonged assertion shared to X early Friday morning, Rousey mentioned she’s regretted the put up “day by day of my life.”
In January 2013, a few month after a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary College in Newtown, Conn., and killed 20 youngsters and 6 staffers, Rousey shared a YouTube video to X (then Twitter) that solid doubt on the taking pictures. Rousey posted a hyperlink to the video and wrote, “Extraordinarily attention-grabbing, and must-watch.”
“I didn’t even consider it, however was so horrified on the reality that I used to be greedy for another fiction to cling to as an alternative,” Rousey mentioned in her apology. “I rapidly realized my mistake and took it down, however the injury was accomplished.”
The 37-year-old professional wrestler mentioned she’s drafted the apology a number of instances over the past decade, however has by no means had the braveness to talk out till now. One such try to apologize was in her latest memoir, Our Combat, however Rousey mentioned her writer “begged” to take away it, “saying it will overshadow the whole lot else and do extra hurt than good.”
Rousey’s hesitancy to apologize was additionally partly as a consequence of worry that calling consideration to the video would improve the attain of the conspiracy theories, and would “selfishly, inform much more folks I used to be ignorant, self absorbed and tone deaf sufficient to share one within the first place.”
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“However actually, I should be hated, labeled, detested, resented and worse for it,” Rousey wrote. “I should lose out on each alternative, I ought to have been canceled, I might have deserved it. I nonetheless do.”
In bolded textual content, Rousey continued: “I apologize that this got here 11 years too late, however to these affected by the Sandy Hook bloodbath, from the underside of my coronary heart and depth of my soul I’m so so sorry for the damage I brought on. I can’t even start to think about the ache you’ve endured and phrases can not describe how completely remorseful and ashamed I’m of myself for contributing it.”
Rousey then addressed others who could consider conspiracy theories, or as she mentioned, individuals who have “fallen down the black gap of bulls—.”
“It doesn’t make you edgy, or an unbiased thinker, you’re not doing all your due diligence entertaining each risk by digesting these conspiracies,” Rousey wrote. “They may solely make you are feeling powerless, afraid, depressing and remoted. You’re doing nothing however hurting others and your self.”
She concluded, “No matter what number of bridges you’ve burned over it, cease digging your self a deeper gap, don’t get wrapped up within the sunk value fallacy, regardless of how lengthy you’ve gone down the improper street, it is best to nonetheless flip again.”
Within the days after she shared the YouTube conspiracy video in 2013, Rousey did problem a short apology.
“I by no means meant to insult or damage anybody, sorry if anybody was offended,” the wrestler wrote on social media. “It was not my intention within the least.”
She didn’t make point out of the put up once more after that.
Rousey’s most up-to-date apology was met with common positivity on-line, with many commenting the assertion was “higher late than by no means.”
“By no means been a Ronda fan, however I can respect this. For those who can not maintain your self accountable, how can anyone count on to develop,” one consumer wrote on X.
“That is so clearly heartfelt that it’s onerous to think about anybody questioning it,” one other commented. “Folks make errors. You clearly did. You realized yours rapidly and never due to backlash.”
Different social media customers speculated Rousey’s apology was triggered by a latest AMA, or “Ask Me Something” session, on Reddit that noticed the athlete inundated with questions on her preliminary posting of the video.
The Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook college taking pictures is the second-deadliest college taking pictures to ever happen within the U.S., behind the 2007 taking pictures at Virginia Tech.
Unfounded conspiracy theories in regards to the Sandy Hook bloodbath have circulated because it occurred, usually championed by controversial public figures like Infowars host Alex Jones.
Jones, who for years informed his viewers the taking pictures was a hoax, was sued by the relations of Sandy Hook victims and ordered to pay US$1.5 billion in 2022 for his false claims. The trial noticed harrowing testimony from relations, who mentioned they nonetheless handled intense harassment from conspiracy theorists.
A federal choose ordered the liquidation of Jones’ private belongings in June, however dismissed his firm’s separate chapter case.
Jones has since acknowledged that the Sandy Hook taking pictures did occur. Regardless of that, he’s regularly mentioned Democrats and the “deep state” are conspiring to close down his firms and get rid of his proper to free speech.
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