The parents of a nine-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan have threatened to sue left-wing sports outlet Deadspin for defamation after the outlet smeared their son with false accusations of racism.
In late November, Deadspin publicly defamed nine-year-old Holden Armenta, accusing him of wearing blackface and culturally appropriating by wearing an Indian headdress. However, it was soon revealed that the outlet’s claims were completely false.
Firstly, Holden was not wearing blackface, as half of his face was painted black to match the Chiefs’ team colors, while the other half was painted red. Face painting is a common practice among sports fans, and the fact that Deadspin failed to fact-check before publishing their story speaks to their lack of journalistic integrity.
Additionally, Holden is part American Indian, with his father and grandfather being affiliated with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. This clearly refutes the accusation of cultural appropriation and demonstrates that Holden was actually honoring his own heritage.
BREAKING: The parents of the 9-year-old Chiefs fan who was smeared for wearing black (and red) face and a Native American headdress, are reportedly preparing to sue Deadspin.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 4, 2023
In response to these false and defamatory claims, Holden’s parents have threatened to sue Deadspin and its parent company, G/O Media, for damages. In a letter sent by their legal team at Clare Locke LLP, the Armenta family demanded that Deadspin issue retractions and apologies, stating that it was not enough to simply remove the article and tweets without acknowledging their mistake.
Clare Locke LLP is known for its successful representation of Dominion Voting Systems in a $787.5 million settlement against Fox News, which highlights the seriousness of Armenta’s potential lawsuit.
This incident highlights the corporate media’s blatant disregard for the truth and their willingness to destroy the lives of innocent children in the name of furthering their own narrative. While Deadspin may have attempted to frame their actions as virtuous by calling out racism and cultural appropriation, it is clear that they were simply trying to garner attention and clicks by targeting an innocent child.
EXCLUSIVE: The 9-year-old Chiefs fan, who was falsely smeared as a racist for supporting his team, speaks out on Primetime.
Holden Armenta says this whole thing has been scary and overwhelming. His father, Bubba, says it’s too late for an apology- the damage is already done. pic.twitter.com/8T4WsMsvm6
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) November 30, 2023
Ultimately, we must hope that this incident will be a wake-up call for the media to reconsider their practices and approach to reporting. Targeting children for destruction should not be tolerated in any society, and those responsible should be held accountable for their actions. Hopefully, the Armenta family’s actions will discourage future incidents and force media outlets to prioritize the truth and the well-being of innocent individuals over their own agenda.