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MANILA, Philippines – Wonderful Pistachios is distancing itself from 8-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao in the wake of his anti-gay comments.
The Filipino boxer, a two-term congressman who is running for a seat in the Philippine Senate, actually starred in one of their “Get Crackin'” commercials in 2012.
“Wonderful Pistachios is not currently affiliated with Manny Pacquiao nor do his views align with ours,” Wonderful Company spokesman Steven Clark said to The Daily Beast.
“Wonderful Pistachios stands firmly for diversity and equality, and we proudly support marriage equality and inclusion around the world.”
In a viral video released by Bilang Pilipino/TV5, Pacquiao said couples in same-sex marriage are “mas masahol pa sa hayop (worse than animals).”
Pacquiao eventually apologized, saying: “I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt.”
But the backlash against him continued.
The apology did not stop Nike from terminating its contract with the 37-year-old boxer – a move applauded by NBA legend Magic Johnson.
“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent. Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community,” Nike said in a statement.
“We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao.”
Even Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, denounced Pacquiao’s comments and called them “reprehensible.”
Pacquiao will face Timothy Bradley Jr for the third time on April 9 in what Pacquiao says will be the final fight of his career. – Rappler.com
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