DUMPED! Ralph Lauren TERMINATE contract with Justin Thomas after homophobic slur

Justin Thomas' deal with Ralph Lauren has been terminated by the brand following his homophobic slur at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Jack Seddon's picture
Sat, 16 Jan 2021
DUMPED! Ralph Lauren TERMINATE contract with Justin Thomas after homophobic slur

Clothing giants Ralph Lauren has cut ties with Justin Thomas and terminated his sponsorship deal, following his use of a homophobic slur at last week's Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Thomas immediately apologised for his actions during the third round of the event, but despite this, Ralph Lauren said Thomas' actions were "entirely inconsistent with our values".

RELATED: Justin Thomas apologises after using HOMOPHOBIC SLUR on PGA Tour

"There's just no excuse," said Thomas last week. 

"There's absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It's terrible. It's not the kind of person that I am. I need to do better. I deeply apologise to anyone and everybody who I offended and I'll be better because of it."

Although the deal has ended for now, Ralph Lauren have left the door open to work with Thomas again in the future.

A statement from the brand read: "At the 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 foster cultures of belonging - in the workplace and in communities around the world.

RELATED: Justin Thomas says golf wasn't the main thing on his mind on Sunday

"We are disheartened by Mr Thomas' recent language, which is entirely inconsistent with our values. While we acknowledge that he has apologised and recognises the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador of our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to uphold.

"In reflecting on the responsibility we have to all of 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 does the hard and necessary work in order to partner with us again - truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion."

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