Actors Jamie Foxx and D.L. Hughley are among the prominent figures concerned by some the media coverage of UFC president Dana White assaulting his wife.
Last week, footage published by TMZ showed White slapping his wife, Anne, while the couple were at a New Year’s Eve party in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The next day, White confirmed the “horrible” incident, adding that “there’s never ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman, and now here I am on TMZ talking about it.”
Despite White’s admission of guilt, various media outlets opted not to criticize White’s actions. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith offered the UFC president his support on “First Take” before adding “he is a friend. I love him.” Elsewhere, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole wrote a particularly spineless column that focused on the White “championing numerous charitable causes, creating thousands of jobs, privately going out of his way to help scores of needy, ill and down-on-their-luck people…”
Given the tame response from several mainstream media outlets to a sports executive assaulting his partner, actor and stand-up comedian D.L. Hughley shared a post on Instagram criticizing the apparent double-standards involved.
“What can BROWN do for you?” Apparently not a damn thing!” Hughley wrote. “If that had been a brotha, it’d be NONSTOP coverage, dredging up a playground fight from the 3rd grade, scouring old tweets, you name it. #DanaWhite ‘s ENTIRE LIFE is immersed in brutal , physical violence, he’s amassed a fortune from it. Where are the salacious headlines?? Where’s the pressure?? Ohhhhh, he apologized. #WhitePrivilege (PUN INTENDED) scores a 1st round knockout yet again.”
Hughley’s post drew a response from fellow thespian Jamie Foxx, who wrote: “Fucking preach!”
The UFC, along with its broadcast partner ESPN, and parent company Endeavor, have declined to comment on White slapping his wife.
About the author: Karim Zidan is an investigative reporter for Bloody Elbow focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. His work is also a contributor to The New York Times and The Guardian. (full bio)
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