Frank Stallone 'Deeply Ashamed' For Berating Parkland Survivor
Actor Frank Stallone apologized on Sunday, saying he was “deeply ashamed” for berating a survivor of the Parkland, Florida school massacre.
The brother of actor Sylvester Stallone took to Twitter over the weekend to insult David Hogg, a student who survived the shooting last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 others. Stallone even suggested that Hogg’s classmates must be “dying to sucker punch this little rich bitch”:
Just FYI here is the tweet that @Stallone deleted. #FarFromOver pic.twitter.com/9f9Hu2KsFa
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) March 31, 2018
Less than 24 hours later, Stallone deleted the tweet and posted an apology:
To everyone and to David Hogg especially. I want to deeply apologize for my irresponsible words. I would never in a million years wish or promote violence to anyone anywhere on this planet. After what these kids went though I’m deeply ashamed. Please accept my apology. Frank
— Frank Stallone (@Stallone) April 1, 2018
This was not the first time an adult has attacked the teenager. When Fox News host Laura Ingraham mocked Hogg on Twitter for not getting into some of the colleges he applied to, he responded by calling for a sponsor boycott of her show.
After at least 14 advertisers fled, Ingraham backtracked and invited him to appear on her program:
Any student should be proud of a 4.2 GPA —incl. @DavidHogg111. On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland. For the record, I believe my show was the first to feature David...(1/2)
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) March 29, 2018
... immediately after that horrific shooting and even noted how "poised" he was given the tragedy. As always, he’s welcome to return to the show anytime for a productive discussion. WATCH: https://t.co/5wcd00wWpd (2/2)
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) March 29, 2018
The very next day, she announced plans to take a sudden, weeklong “vacation.”
Prior to apologizing to Hogg, Stallone retweeted a post talking about the Ingraham situation and said it was a mistake to “apologize to the left.”
Many on Twitter did not support Stallone’s posts:
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When did we become a nation of people who treat victims of a mass shooting with more cruelty and harshness than we show to the actual murderer? What makes us think it's all right to be vicious to kids? What does that say about us as human beings?
— Karen Ottway (@OttwayKaren) April 2, 2018
Kind of tough to say you would never promote violence just after promoting violence. Perhaps you should have said that you won’t promote violence again.
— Orangeville Chiver (@kriztoper1978) April 1, 2018
God Bless you little Sly, and all these old age conservatives who feel the need to attack these kids on Easter Sunday for having differing opinions! Happy Easter!!
— KALPHAAPEXC (@KALPHAAPEX) April 1, 2018
You should apologize to America for having to Google who the fuck you are.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 1, 2018
Here. And now you can disappear again. pic.twitter.com/nvJvE4cw1t
— Korby Siamis (@ksplanet) April 1, 2018
"We don’t have to worry about a Frank Stallone boycott -- that started in the late seventies."
— guerojusticiero (@guerojusticero) April 1, 2018
Dude, I'm still boycotting you. Which parking garage do you work at, again?
— KellyLC (@kellylyric001) April 2, 2018
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.