Ralph Lauren Corporation announced late on Friday that it “decided to discontinue our sponsorship” of Justin Thomas, who made an anti-gay slander during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions last Saturday.
“We are discouraged by Mr. Thomas’ recent language, which is totally inconsistent with our values,” said the statement. “While we recognize that he apologized and acknowledged the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador for our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture we seek to defend. By reflecting on the responsibility we have towards all our stakeholders , we have decided to discontinue our sponsorship of Mr. Thomas at this time.
“As we make this decision, our hope is that Mr. Thomas will do the hard and necessary work to be our partner again – truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion.”
Thomas, who has been with the brand since he became a professional in 2013, pronounced the slander after missing a shot on Kapalua’s fourth hole and apologized after the round.
“There is simply no excuse,” Thomas told the Golf Channel shortly after. “I am an adult. I am an adult man. There is absolutely no reason for me to say such a thing. It is terrible. I am extremely ashamed. I am not who I am. I am not the type of person I am. to confess that and I’m very sorry.
“As I said, it is excusable. I’m speechless. It’s bad. There is no other way to put it. I need to do better. I need to be better. It is definitely a learning experience. I deeply apologize to anyone I offended and I will improve because of that. “
Golf Channel contacted Thomas’ representative, who had no comment at the time.
Justin Thomas apologizes for the use of homophobic slander in OCD
Full statement here:
At Ralph Lauren Corporation, we believe in the dignity of all people, regardless of age, race, gender identity, ethnicity, political affiliation or sexual orientation. This is part of our longstanding commitment to promoting cultures of belonging – in the workplace and in communities around the world.
We are discouraged by Mr. Thomas’ recent language, which is totally inconsistent with our values. While we acknowledge that he apologized and acknowledged the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador for our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to defend.
In reflecting on the responsibility we have towards all of our stakeholders, we have decided to discontinue our sponsorship to Mr. Thomas at this time. As we make this decision, our hope is that Mr. Thomas will do the hard and necessary work to be our partner again – truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion.