A bodybuilding sponsor terminated support for former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger following an interview in which the workout guru made what the sponsor considers “anti-America” comments.
REDCON1, a sports supplement company, announced the decision last week upon pulling sponsorship of the Arnold Classic event next month in Columbus, Ohio. The company also pulled sponsorship from all of Schwarzenegger’s global events, including a bodybuilding event next month.
During the interview, Schwarzenegger, while talking about people who do not want to wear face masks, said “screw your freedom.” The former governor said that although Americans have the freedom not to wear masks, they are also supposed to protect fellow Americans.
“You have the freedom to wear no mask — but you know something? You’re a schmuck for not wearing a mask. Because you are supposed to protect your fellow Americans around you,” Schwarzenegger said. “I think people should know there is a virus here. It kills people, and the only way we prevent it is to get vaccinated, to wear masks, to do social distancing, washing your hands all the time, and not just to think about, well, my freedom is being kind of disturbed here.”
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REDCON1 had been a sponsor of the Arnold Classic for nearly a decade. The company was slated to be the sole sponsor of the webcast this year, according to a press release from the company.
“To be clear we did not pull out of the event because of a mask issue. We understand the importance of public safety as well as the responsibilities of all event organizers. These are unprecedented times and we’re aligned with public safety for all,” a spokesperson for REDCON1 told the Hill Wednesday. “We elected to discontinue support due to Arnold’s comment, ‘Screw Your Freedoms.’ With the global influence Arnold beholds we find that ideology dangerous and anti-America and community.”
REDCON1 founder Aaron Singerman said in a video posted to his Instagram that he loved Schwarzenegger and overlooked other issues with the star but could no longer support him after the inflammatory comment.
“When somebody says ‘screw your freedom,’ I can’t, and REDCON1 can’t, in good conscience continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars sponsoring that person or show,” Singerman said.
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Singerman added that his company was not seeking to “cancel” or censor Schwarzenegger, only that he could no longer support him.
Former “World’s Strongest Man” Brian Shaw was also disappointed in Schwarzenegger’s remarks, taking a poster of the former movie star down from the walls of his gym.
“[Schwarzenegger] has the freedom to say whatever he wants and that’s part of being an American citizen,” Shaw said in his own Instagram video. “But him saying ‘screw your freedom’ did not sit well with me and therefore it was time for his poster to come down from my gym wall. Freedom didn’t come free and I will always stand for freedom.“
Schwarzenegger could not be reached for comment.
