- Jaguar pulled its sponsorship from Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice.
- The Australian swimmer made an anti-gay comment on her Twitter page over the weekend.
- Rice won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
SYDNEY, Australia — Jaguar has broken off its sponsorship arrangement with a member of the Australian Olympic swimming team after she published an anti-gay comment on her Twitter page over the weekend. Stephanie Rice, winner of three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will have to give back the Jaguar XF she has been driving since her sponsorship deal started earlier this year.
Rice Tweeted an offensive remark in which she called the South African Springboks rugby team "faggots" after they were defeated by Australia's Wallabies on Saturday. Rice, according to reports in British tabloid newspapers, is romantically involved with a member of the Australian team.
She held a news conference in which she tearfully apologized for the remark, but Jaguar Australia General Manager Kevin Goult nevertheless released a statement on Monday saying the company has "terminated its relationship" with her. On her Web site, the swimmer issued a terse written apology which reads: "I made a comment on Twitter on Saturday night in the excitement of the moment. I did not mean to cause offence and I apologise."
The Sydney Morning Herald polled readers: "Was Jaguar right to dump Stephanie Rice?" and with 37,443 votes in as of Wednesday, 66 percent said, "Yes, she acted inappropriately."
Inside Line says: One good thing about Twitter: It tends to reveal people's true colors. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
davicho says:
11:07 AM, 09/09/2010
Thank you sugarlandtx!
sugarlandtx says:
07:47 AM, 09/09/2010
WTF. You have got to be kidding me. She typed a comment on a phone. If I were another car manufacturer, I would take her in a minute, and spin this mess using humor. You would get instant name recognition and publicity, and a FOX promoting the product.
phoenixc says:
10:14 PM, 09/08/2010
@davicho
There are plenty of hot women to represent a brand, and whether you get it or not, the reality is that every potential customer is important to a brand as on the rocks as jag is (even with a new line-up on the way). It's not 'pc crap' it's about being a good brand embassador. She failed on that count, even if it was "in the excitement of the moment". Personally there are people all over who don't like this or that - as a business owner I side with Jag, there's no need to risk a brand over a person doesn't readily understand the position they hold in a legal partnership.
Now, back to talking about cars...
icecubefosho says:
05:03 PM, 09/08/2010
Shes hot but a woman that talks like to the public that has no class. I side with Jaaaaaag!
j84ustin says:
03:24 PM, 09/08/2010
Jaguar was right to do what they did. It's 2010. Even many people who aren't gay rights supporters will say that she acted stupidly. To defend what she said is dumb, at best.
davicho says:
03:19 PM, 09/08/2010
All this PC crap is just that..CRAP. Reality is that sex sells and this girl is hot. Jags have always portrayed a sensual image in my opinion, and sponsoring Rice would only continue to cement that image Jag has always had. She is entittled to her opinion and that should not matter or mirror what and where "Jaguar's" position lays.
Now if this was Saab, different story....
joeo26 says:
03:05 PM, 09/08/2010
Yes, because not liking their clients saying prejudice things must make them gay. And ferenc Glen Beck did warn you about the gay agenda.. watch out they are everywhere!
ferenc says:
02:37 PM, 09/08/2010
the perverts rule the world. no jag for me!
felonious says:
02:29 PM, 09/08/2010
Davicho's sponsorship just got pulled too.