The family of the young Kansas City Chiefs fan who was falsely accused of racism is now suing the media outlet that wrote the defaming article.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, comes a few months after sports outlet Deadspin published an article accusing 9-year-old Holden Armenta of wearing blackface and committing cultural appropriation against Native Americans at a Kansas City Chiefs football game. The Armenta family had previously asked for a retraction of the initial story and a published apology in December.
“The Article falsely alleged that H.A. had ‘found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time,'” the lawsuit said. “It alleged that H.A.’s parents, Shannon and Raul, ‘taught’ H.A. ‘racism and hate’ at home. It intentionally painted a picture of the Armenta Family as anti-Black, anti-Native American bigots who proudly engaged in the worst kind of racist conduct motivated by their family’s hatred for Black and Native Americans.”
The Armenta family states in their lawsuit that “none” of Deadspin’s story was true, pointing to how half of Holden Armenta’s face was painted black while the other was painted red, mimicking the Chiefs’ team colors. The lawsuit also pointed to how Holden Armenta is of Native American descent, and that the Native American headdress he wore to the game was worn because he loves both his heritage and the Chiefs football team.
The lawsuit asks for the court to give the Armenta family “a narrowly-tailored injunction prohibiting the republication of any statement or image adjudicated to be false and defamatory.” Additionally, it also asks for the family to be given “all costs, disbursements, fees, and interest as authorized by law.”
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In the wake of Deadspin’s defamatory article, many have slammed it for pushing a false narrative, with media personality Joe Rogan greatly criticizing it. Holden Armenta’s father, Bubba Armenta, explained that he had been “upset” over the accusations against his son, and that it was “a little too late” for an apology.
Ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday, in which the Chiefs are playing against the San Francisco 49ers, a fundraiser has been launched online to send Holden Armenta and his father to the big game. One of the men who started the petition told the Washington Examiner he wanted to “turn something dark into something light for them” after the ordeal the family has gone through. As of Wednesday, roughly $7,500 had been donated to the cause.
