The calls to boycott Conor McGregor and his products are having an effect as his Proper No Twelve Irish whiskey and Forged Irish Stout are being pulled from shelves in Ireland.
Calls to boycott Conor McGregor emerged after a jury ruled on Friday that the Irish sports star assaulted Nikita Hand at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018. Hand is set to be awarded damages of €248,603.60.
Dublin native McGregor maintains his innocence. In one of his since-deleted posts on X after the jury's decision, he accused Hand of being a liar, said that the court was brainwashed by the mainstream media, and that the court reporting was a "laughing stock."
Among those calling for a McGregor boycott in the wake of the jury's decision on Friday is the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland (RCNI), which said sponsors and brand partners "need to consider what message they are promoting."
Most notable of McGregor's products are Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey, which he launched in 2018 and sold his majority stake to Proximo Spirits for a reported $600 million in 2021, and his Forged Irish Stout, which he launched in 2021.
Now, a number of major retailers are taking heed of the calls to boycott McGregor and have announced that they are pulling his products.
Tesco told the Irish Times on Tuesday that it is “removing Proper No 12 (whiskey) from sale in its stores and online.” Tesco added that it does not stock McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout.
The Barry Group, one of Ireland’s leading retail food and alcohol wholesale providers that operates Costcutter and Carry Out, also told The Irish Times on Tuesday that it had “made the decision to remove Forged (Irish) Stout and Proper Twelve (whiskey) from circulation to our network.
“This action reflects our commitment to maintaining a retail environment that resonates with the values of our customers and partners.”
The Currency separately reported on Tuesday that Irish retail giant Musgrave, which operates Supervalu, Centra, and Donnybrook Fair brands, is 'delisting' all of McGregor's products. A spokesperson for Musgrave later said: “Musgrave can confirm these products are no longer available to our store network.”
Conor McGregor in 2023. (Getty Images)
The boycott moves from retailers in Ireland come the day after IO Interactive, the developers of the Hitman video game franchise, announced they are ceasing collaboration with McGregor effectively immediately.
In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately. We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. Consequently, we will begin removing all…
— HITMAN (@Hitman) November 25, 2024
Meanwhile, McGregor took to X on Monday night with a statement in a noticeably different tone from the posts he has since deleted.
In his statement, McGregor admitted he "made mistakes," adding that he should have "never responded to her outreaches."
He added: "I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me."
November 22, 2024: Dee Devlin and Conor McGregor at the High Court in Dublin after a jury found McGregor assaulted accuser Nikita Hand in 2018. (RollingNews.ie)
While he 'regrets' what happened at the hotel party in December 2018, McGregor maintains that it was "consensual." He said he has instructed his legal team to appeal Friday's decision.
He added that he is "beyond grateful" to his family, friends, and supporters.
"That’s it. No more," he said, concluding, "Getting back to the gym- the fight game awaits!"
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