Photo Credit: Neymar/Instagram
Neymar has enjoyed a career being listed as one of the most influential people in the world and even has been the 3rd highest paid athlete in the world but is now facing a PR crises. He was dropped by Nike for a sponsorship deal in 2020 with the reason just revealed. A sexual assault accusation from within Nike that was investigated in 2019 from a 2016 incident is what caused him to get the boot. He’s calling it “an absurd lie.”
“I was not given the opportunity to defend myself,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’ve never had any kind of relationship or approach from this person. I didn’t even have a chance to talk to her, to know the real reasons for her pain. That person, an employee, was not protected. I, a sponsored athlete, was not protected.”
In 2020, Nike said they ended the relationship because “the athlete refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee.” They went on to say, “No single set of facts emerged that would enable us to speak substantively on the matter,” Nike said. “It would be inappropriate for Nike to make an accusatory statement without being able to provide supporting facts.” That means that he was let go without conclusive evidence he did anything wrong.
Denying the accusations, he wrote, “I really don’t understand how a serious company can distort a business relationship that is supported by documents. Written words cannot be altered. They are very clear. Once again I am warned that I cannot comment in public. Against my own will, I shall obey.
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“Irony of fate I will continue to stamp a brand on my chest that betrayed me. That’s life for you! I remain firm and strong, believing that time, always this cruel time, will bring the true answers.”
The idea of being fired over an accusation and one that admittedly hasn’t even been proven in and of itself is wrong and hopefully this isn’t th end of this case and that he’ll see justice in the end. These types of accusations that haven’t proven any guilt are the types of things that ruin lives and careers. We’ll be covering updates as they come in.
