CrossFit CEO Apologizes After Reebok, Gyms Cut Ties Over Insensitive George Floyd Remarks

Greg Glassman, the CEO of CrossFit, apologized Sunday night after Reebok and other affiliated companies including gyms, cut ties with the fitness brand after Glassman made insensitive remarks involving murdered unarmed black man George Floyd.

Glassman replied, “It's FLOYD-19” on Saturday in response to a tweet from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation that said “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response. #BlackLivesMatter”

Followers were floored by Glassman's response, and not in a good way.

Reebok released a statement, officially ending its affiliation with the brand: “Our partnership with CrossFit HQ comes to an end later this year. Recently, we have been in discussions regarding a new agreement, however, in light of recent events, we have made the decision to end our partnership with CrossFit HQ. We will fulfil our remaining contractual obligations in 2020. We owe this to the CrossFit Games competitors, fans and the community. What doesn't change is our commitment and dedication to CrossFitters and the passionate CrossFit community. We're so thankful for the strong bonds we've created with coaches, box owners and athletes around the world over the past 10 years.”

Some of the other brands and celebrities cutting ties include Rogue Fitness and Noah Olsen, second place finisher in the 2019 CrossFit Games:

View this post on Instagram

My participation in the 2020 @crossfitgames will be contingent upon major changes being made. ⁣ ⁣ I LOVE competing, I LOVE training, I LOVE being able to challenge myself and become better from it. ⁣ ⁣ I also LOVE people.⁣ ⁣ This is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make. It's been weighing on me for days. I've consulted many of my closest supporters. All of that said, I've decided that I cannot, in good conscience, compete during this time for a company that hasn't shown themselves to have values that I align with. ⁣ ⁣ I've been talking a lot about this movement and my strong desire to stand up and fight for equality. Right now, I'm taking action. The repercussions of this could be huge. I've weighed them and my belief in this is stronger than their potential outcomes.

A post shared by Noah Ohlsen (@nohlsen) on Jun 7, 2020 at 4:56pm PDT

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Wrote Glassman in an apology shared by CrossFit: “I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake. Floyd is a hero in the black community and not just a victim. I should have been sensitive to that and wasn't. I apologize for that. I was trying to stick it to the @IHME_UW for their invalidated models resulting in needless, economy-wrecking, life-wrecking lockdown, and when I saw they were announcing modeling a solution to our racial crisis, I was incredulous, angry, and overly emotional. Involving George Floyd's name in that effort was wrong. It's our hope that his murder catalyzes real change resulting in a level playing field for our black brothers and sisters. Please hear me when I say, we stand by our community to fight for justice. I care about you, our community, and I am here for you.”