Cam apologizes for mocking reporter
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton last night issued a lengthy apology for mocking a woman sports reporter, after Dannon, the maker of Oikos yogurt, cut ties with him.
“My word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful to women and, to be honest, it was not my intent,” Newton said in a video posted to Twitter. “If you’re a person who took offense to what I said, I sincerely apologize ...”
Saying he aims to be a role model, Newton said, “During the whole process, I’ve already lost sponsors and countless fans, and I realize that the joke was on me, and I’ve learned a valuable lesson from it. To the young people who see this, I hope you learn something from this as well. Don’t be like me. Be better than me.”
The controversy stemmed from Newton’s cutting remarks to Jourdan Rodrigue, a Charlotte Observer reporter. When Rodrigue asked Newton about wide receiver Devin Funchess’ route-running Wednesday, Newton laughed and said, “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes. It’s funny.”
A Dannon statement yesterday said the company was “shocked and disheartened” with its celebrity spokesman, saying the company sees Newton’s comments as “sexist and disparaging to all women. ... It’s simply not OK to belittle anyone based on gender. We have shared our concerns with Cam and will no longer work with him.”
The NFL released a statement on Wednesday saying that Newton’s response to the question was “just plain wrong and disrespectful to the exceptional female reporters and all journalists who cover our league.”