Ronda Rousey apologizes: UFC champion says sorry
Ronda Rousey’s apology for briefly sharing a Sandy Hook conspiracy video offers several valuable lessons.
The first is that it’s never too late to admit a mistake and take responsibility. On Thursday night, the former UFC champion apologized to X for something she had done 11 years ago—a significant amount of time, especially in today’s fast-paced news environment driven by our constant connectivity.
The apology came after a challenging Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, where Ronda Rousey faced numerous questions about her past sharing of a video that questioned the tragic massacre, which claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators, shattering the belief that any place in this country could remain untouched by gun violence.
Ronda Rousey expressed
Despite the timing, Ronda Rousey expressed that she has regretted sharing the video for a long time. She mentioned that she had drafted an apology multiple times and even attempted to include it in her last book, but it was never released. She held back out of fear, shame, concern that it might lead others down a conspiratorial path, and even out of self-interest.
Regardless of the reasons, she now understands that none of them were more important than taking responsibility for the harm she caused.
I convinced myself that apologizing would only reopen the wound, serving no purpose other than to ease my guilt selfishly. I feared it would cause more pain to those already suffering and possibly draw more people into the conspiracy nonsense by bringing it up again, just so I could distance myself from the label of being a ‘Sandy Hook truther,'” Ronda Rousey explained
I apologize that this comes 11 years too late, but to those affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy, I am profoundly and sincerely sorry for the pain I caused. I cannot begin to fathom the agony you’ve endured, and no words can express the depth of my remorse and shame for contributing to it. I’ve regretted this every day since, and I will continue to do so until I die,” Ronda Rousey wrote, emphasizing the words to ensure their significance was not overlooked.
Ronda Rousey admitted that she ‘quickly recognized her mistake’ after sharing the video and swiftly took it down. Despite being at the peak of her fame and dominance in her sport at the time, her actions essentially went unnoticed by the broader public. While MMA fans might have been aware, Rousey managed to move forward without significant repercussions.
A wrong is still wrong, whether exposed to the world or hidden in the depths of your conscience.
I should have been canceled,’ Ronda Rousey admitted. ‘I would have deserved it. I still do.’
The final and most crucial lesson in Ronda Rousey apology lies in her cautionary message.
People have always been drawn into believing absurdities; those tabloids at the grocery store checkout with headlines about alien babies and Elvis sightings weren’t just for show. However, over the past 15 years, this problem has intensified, with malicious actors exploiting people’s fears, ignorance, and, in the worst cases, their hatred.
U.S. Capitol
This is how a pizza parlor in Washington, D.C., ended up being shot at. It’s why some people resorted to taking a horse dewormer to combat COVID or minimize the severity of a pandemic that claimed millions of lives globally. It’s why individuals stormed the U.S. Capitol and attacked police officers. It’s why an NFL MVP spread misinformation under the guise of ‘doing his research.’
And it’s how an MMA star came to share a video that cast doubt on the reality of the bullet-riddled bodies of 6- and 7-year-olds and the profound grief of their parents.
But as Ronda Rousey explained, diving into conspiracy theories doesn’t lead to any profound truth; instead, it drags you deeper into darkness.
‘To anyone who has fallen down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories,’ Ronda Rousey wrote, ‘it doesn’t make you edgy or an independent thinker. Entertaining every possibility by indulging in these conspiracies is not due diligence. They will only make you feel powerless, fearful, unhappy, and alone. In the end, you’re merely causing harm to both yourself and others.
Regardless of how many bridges you’ve burned, stop making the situation worse. Don’t fall into the trap of the sunk cost fallacy—no matter how far you’ve gone down the wrong path, it’s never too late to turn back.”
