On the afternoon of Saturday, August 10, 2013, MMA fighter Jon Koppenhaver, who competes as War Machine and was under contract with Bellator MMA at the time, set off a firestorm on Twitter. A series of tweets from his account, @WarMachine170, joked about rape and referred to his girlfriend, adult film performer Christy Mack, according to Bleacher Report. One of the posts included the line “Real men rape,” and readers quickly slammed the tweets as offensive.
When followers pushed back, Koppenhaver reportedly defended the posts, said people had taken them out of context, and fired off more heated replies. At least one of the tweets was later deleted. Baller Alert saved screenshots of the posts as they went up.
Rape is not a topic for jokes. Sexual assault by a partner or spouse is a crime and a serious problem, and it is illegal in every state. Many readers said the tweets made light of something that hurts real people, and we understand why.
A few hours later, Koppenhaver posted an apology. He called the earlier tweet “stupid, insensitive and wrong” and said rape is never something to joke about. Some readers felt the apology was brief and vague. Baller Alert has asked him for an interview, and we will share anything he says.
Baller Alert also reached out to Viacom, Spike TV, Bellator MMA and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney for comment on the tweets. As of this post, none had responded.
If you or someone you know is being hurt, please talk to someone you trust. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is free, confidential and open around the clock at 1 800 656 HOPE (4673).
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