Former NBA star Charles Barkley attacked Americans who are boycotting Bud Light after the beer brand partnered with a controversial transgender influencer earlier this year.
“So I’m gonna buy some drinks for y’all and I’m gonna buy Bud Light,” Barkley told people at an event in California over the weekend. “Hey, let me tell you something. All you rednecks or a**holes who don’t want to drink Bud Light, f*** y’all. Hey, y’all can’t cancel me!”
“Hey, I ain’t worried about getting canceled because let me tell you something, if y’all fire me and gimme all that money, I’m gonna be playing golf every f***ing day,” he continued. “So listen, as I said last night, if you’re gay, God bless you. If you’re trans, God bless you. And if you have a problem with them – f*** you.”
Barkley made similar remarks on Saturday at a golf event where he championed the beer brand.
“I want y’all to drink this f***ing beer,” he said. “I want y’all to drink this f***ing beer. I got three cases of Bud Light.”
“Hey, and I want to say this — if you’re gay, bless you,” he continued. “If you’re transgender, bless you. And, if you have a problem with that, f*** you!”
Bud Light has faced months of boycotts and dramatically reduced sales following its decision to partner with a transgender influencer. Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, lost tens of billions of dollars in market value after the partnership was revealed on social media, dominating the news cycle for weeks.
Anheuser-Busch responded last month to the influencer after he claimed that the company did not defend him from the online backlash he faced.
“As we’ve said, we remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said. “The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”