“Have you seen any animal having male-to-male or female-to-female relations?” Pacquiao said on a Filipino television station this week. “If you have male-to-male or female-to-female [relationships], then people are worse than animals.”
His remarks quickly gained traction and criticism online, and Nike announced on Wednesday that they had cut ties with the boxer, who fought (and lost to) Floyd Mayweather last year in the “richest fight” in boxing history.
“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” Nike said in a statement on Wednesday. “Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.”
When the backlash for his comments first began, Pacquiao took to Instagram to defend his position. “I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desires of the flesh. I’m not condemning anyone, but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says. The truth from the Bible is what changed me from my old ways,” he wrote.
Wearing a Nike shirt, he later took to social media to apologize for “hurting people,” while still doubling down on his opposition to gay marriage.