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Celebrity Justice
NFL Star Punished in Wake of Gay Slur

Posted Oct 27th 2009 2:05PM by TMZ Staff

NFL Star Larry johnosnKansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson just issued an apology for hurling a gay slur at reporters yesterday -- but it was too late ... the team has already sidelined him from team activities.

Here's Johnson's apology:

First of all, I want to apologize to the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the NFL, Commissioner Goodell, the Chiefs organization, Coach Todd Haley, his staff, and my teammates for the words I used yesterday"

"I regret my actions. The words were used by me in frustration, and they were not appropriate. I did not intend to offend anyone, but that is no excuse for what I said. "

"I also want to apologize to all the kids who view athletes as role models. I was not a good role model yesterday and hopefully I can become a better role model. We all make mistakes, and the challenge is to learn from them. I will do my best to learn from this one as I move toward becoming a better person, teammate, and member of the Kansas City chiefs team and community."

The Chiefs have "instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities" while they conduct an internal investigation.

It's unlikely the incident will affect Larry's play -- it can't get any worse this season.



Tags: banned, gay, kansas city chiefs, KansasCityChiefs, larry johnson, LarryJohnson, slur

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(Page 1 of 5) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Posted at 2:25PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Simone

2. That's total Bull Schit .NFL get your head out yo azz,We have the First Amendment and you need to be sued "Kansas City Chiefs" for violating Larry Johnson's Civil Rights

Posted at 2:26PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Homie1Kanobe

3. And yet, they allow a convicted dog killer to play.

Posted at 2:25PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Trey

4. Wake up Sybil, I mean Simone i think :)

Posted at 2:29PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Homie1Kanobe

5. I don't want to hurt anyones feelings... but he has a first amendment right to say whatever he wants to say. I'm tired of people being fired, fined or disfamed for what they say. PLEEEZZE! I believe in the Holy Book... the BIBLE and homosexuality is WRONG! No more than affairs and sex before marriage but none less a sin. Please stop pretending there is nothing wrong with people being gay! The bible says its an abomination! People wake up... before its too late.

Posted at 2:59PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Rhonda in KY

6. All this is going to do is make people hate homosexuals even more than they already do. Granted, I doubt that I could hate them anymore - after all, I was 'gay bashing' long before they called it that. But still. This is ridiculous.

Posted at 2:33PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Todd da Man

7. LJ needs to go. Since coming to KC he has been a problem child, harassing women in bars, pulling a handgun out in public, more than one UN-provoked attack on a woman in a public place, and more slurs on others than one can count. LJ needs to saddle-up and ride out of town, if not the tar-n-feathers from the outraged local community will send him out on a rail.

Posted at 2:32PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Eaglewerks

8. LJ needs to go!

Posted at 2:33PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Eaglewerks

9. It's "affect" Larry's play, not "effect".

Posted at 2:35PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Webster's Dict.

10. #9...you beat me to it. The TMZ writing staff are a bunch of baboons. Rafiki from the Lion King must be their editor.

Posted at 2:39PM on Oct 27th 2009 by dictionary.com

11. I love it when someone issues an apology laden with conditions for their actions. Why can't anyone simply own up to what they've done, and offer a straight forward apology? "I screwed up, I’m sorry, I'll try to avoid similar behavior in the future".

Posted at 2:39PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Shmuk

12. This is ambarrassing.
TMZ is embarrassing.
GLAAD is embarrassing.

How do they expect any progress to be made if they dog people for little things like this.
Yes, it's little.
The thing is, I don't think anyone would have ever known he said faggot had GLAAD not made a thing about it.
A little counter-productive if you ask me, but what do I know, I'm just a faggot.

Posted at 2:40PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Erik

13. What he said was wrong. He has apologized lets move on people. It takes a bigger person to apologize. Since he is a "Role Model" what he says can affect lots of people. He deserved the slap on wrist and has owned up to his mistake. I believe in Freedom of Speech but not Hate Speech!!!!

Posted at 2:45PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Gay Guy

14. I guess freedom of speech only applies to politically correctness now

Posted at 2:42PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Melissa Baker

15. Hmm..........Dante Stallworth MURDERS someone while driving drunk, gets away with it by saying it was the fault of the guy he murdered for jaywalking. Then there's the dog-fighter Michael Vicks. Then there's the ass who bought a gun to a night club. Then there's this bigot. The NFL has really lowered their standards, and it's pathetic. For a multi-million-dollar paycheck for half-year's work, it won't kill these people to conduct themselves in a respectable manner.

Posted at 2:47PM on Oct 27th 2009 by Roy

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