UFC fighter issues apology after her husband's swastika tattoo goes viral
MMA fighter Andrea Lee was at first dismissive and then apologetic over a photo she posted that revealed her husband has a swastika tattoo.
In the photo of the 29-year-old Lee with husband and trainer Donny Aaron at a lake, the Nazi symbol is seen on Aaron’s upper left forearm.
https://twitter.com/FlyinBrianJ/status/1002726408098074624
Someone then called attention to another image showing SS lightning bolts tattooed on Aaron’s other forearm.
Donny Aaron. @outlawmuaythai pic.twitter.com/5M72VKNqfH
— The Bad Guy (@Badguy_209) June 2, 2018
Lee’s initial response Friday was to label anyone objecting to her husband’s Nazi tattoos as “sensitive ass mofos.”
“Neither one of us are racists, we have an Asian & a black guy that live with us!” she said.
Lee defended her husband by saying he got the tattoo when he was in prison. “He covers them up all the time & we happen to have a lake day and it makes an appearance,” she said.
https://twitter.com/JESnowden/status/1002743298174447616
After two days of reflection, however, Lee deleted her initial post and struck a more contrite tone in a follow-up statement on social media.
“My comments the day before were meant to just defend my husband not his tattoo,” she said Sunday. “I never intended to make light of the situation, the history of the symbol or dismiss anyone that was offended. The mistakes he made in his youth are not a representation of who he is today, which is a man that loves and respects everyone. Donny was my coach long before we got together, when I first met Donny, I questioned him too about his tattoos and he explained to me about his past and who he was now and how he’d changed. The more I got to know him as a person the less I noticed his skin.
“I’m truly sorry for responding the other day the way I did, if you think I don’t I DO! I’m not racist, I’m not a nazi and I don’t hate people and neither does Donny.
“I’ve always believed in the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you, I personally try to live by that and I tell my daughter that all the time. I Also don’t believe in hating a person for things they have done to you or things they have done, Period, If I don’t like someone. I never ever say that I hate people or a person, if anything I just extremely dislike a person, but never hate.
“I’m the type of person to help anyone out no matter the color of their skin or the religion they believe in, I don’t judge people based off a single thing or action or because of what someone else said about them, I chose to get to know them first and then make my own personal opinion, that’s how I am and that’s who I have always been.
“So I am sorry if I offended anyone, I apologize, please forgive me. … This is from my heart. Whether you hate me or not I remain sincerely sorry and will continue to do good by people regardless.”
Please read my full apology, this is to everyone who was upset or offended by me and my initial response. I sincerely apologize, it wasn’t thought out when I sent it, I deleted it immediately after I sent it when I was more rational and clear minded. 🙏 forgive me pic.twitter.com/9td65xNAmo
— Andrea Lee (@AndreaKGBLee) June 3, 2018
Aaron offered an apology of his own Sunday discussing “the abhorrent tattoos that I ashamedly wear.”
“Please read this and accept my most sincere apologies to all I have offended when the photos of my tattoos became public,” he said on Twitter. “I’d most like to apologize to Andrea and my brother Kendrik (both pictured) for putting them in a position to feel they need to defend me when there is no defense or justification for the abhorrent tattoos that I ashamedly wear. I’d also like to apologize to her employers at the UFC for bringing them shame and embarrassment. Not least of these I apologize to MMA fans worldwide for giving the sport a temporary black eye and for offending so many of those who’ve supported us for years. And to all of the elite pro fighters I’ve been blessed to work with I pray this doesn’t change your opinion of me even through most of this group knows my story. …
“Know that I only offer reasons, not excuses or justification for the choices I made in my 20s. My body is covered in tattoos that tell the story of where I have been, what I’ve gone through and what I’ve overcome. These ‘scars’ tell my history which include a dark time when I was imprisoned. However, they do not accurately represent who I am today as a person, my personal belief system and the respect I have for people of all races and religion. For 13 years I have tried to atone for my sins and seek forgiveness from those who most certainly find my body reprehensible. I’ve, in most cases, gone to great lengths to always wear long sleeves in a public setting. The photo posted was a complacent error in judgement as my excitement and not thoughtfulness ruled the day.
“Many of you have offered solutions to my problem. Cover ups, lazer removal etc. Please trust me when I say I’ve explored both avenues and unfortunately neither is an option for me.
“In the meantime, I understand that many won’t forgive me and don’t believe in second chances and to you I say… I understand. I don’t deserve forgiveness and am certainly not asking for sympathy. If however you do believe in forgiveness, then I promise it won’t be wasted on me. I am a different human being in my mid 40s than I was in my 20s.
Please read. pic.twitter.com/hu7cf5LdJO
— Donny Aaron (@outlawmuaythai) June 3, 2018
“As a final statement to Andrea’s character, it is with certainty that I can promise you that she didn’t marry a racist. When Andrea and I met, I had already began to reinvent my life and if she’d seen any racist behavior or attitude she’d have never given me the time of day. Instead she met a man who was and still does speak to at risk youth, who goes and speaks to inmates, who is active in his church and who has always offered pro bono training to physically challenged and unprivileged youth. …
“Please don’t let the sins of my past define my future. Please don’t let your hatred over me bleed into hatred toward Andrea. If you have to hate someone then please hate me. She doesn’t deserve it. She is genuinely the best person I know.”
The controversy casts a shadow over Lee’s rising MMA career. She made her UFC debut last month in Chile and defeated Veronica Macedo by unanimous decision to earn a “Fight of the Night” bonus.
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