Ronda Rousey has publicly apologized for sharing a conspiracy video related to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting over a decade ago.
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion took to Twitter to issue a heartfelt statement after questions arose during a recent Reddit AMA about a YouTube video she posted to her social media account 11 years ago. Rousey expressed that it was a decision she deeply regretted and had been contemplating apologizing for over the years.
In her statement, Rousey admitted, “I made the single most regrettable decision of my life. I watched a Sandy Hook conspiracy video and reposted it to Twitter out of shock and seeking an alternative fiction to believe in. I quickly realized my mistake and removed the video, but the damage had been done.”
Despite the incident flying under the radar of the media at the time, Rousey had refrained from addressing it publicly, fearing that it could inadvertently draw more attention to the conspiracy theories. She shared, “I deserve to be hated, labeled, detested, resented and worse for it. I apologize that this came 11 years too late, but to those affected by the Sandy Hook massacre, I am so, so sorry for the hurt I caused.”
Rousey acknowledged the impact of her actions and expressed deep remorse, emphasizing that she has regretted her decision every day since. She also highlighted the pain endured by the victims of the tragedy and expressed profound sorrow for contributing to it.
The incident occurred in January 2013, just a month after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Rousey’s apology at the time fell short, as she now recognizes, stating that she “never meant to insult or hurt anyone” with the video.
Following her professional fighting career, Rousey transitioned to the world of pro wrestling and eventually signed with WWE in 2018, remaining with the company until 2023.
In closing, Rousey offered a message of caution to those who may find themselves drawn into similar situations involving conspiracy theories. She advised against falling into the trap of misinformation, urging individuals to prioritize critical thinking over entertaining harmful narratives.
“Regardless of how many bridges you’ve burned over it, stop digging yourself a deeper hole, don’t get wrapped up in the sunk cost fallacy, no matter how long you’ve gone down the wrong road, you should still turn back,” Rousey concluded.