In the wake of the December incident involving Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf and a Detroit Lions fan named Ryan Kennedy, the latter has filed a $100 million lawsuit.
Named in Kennedy’s lawsuit are the Steelers, Metcalf, Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson, and Shay Shay Media. Additionally, Ford Field was named in the lawsuit for a failure to provide appropriate barriers between the fans and players where such an interaction could have been prevented.
As part of the lawsuit, Kennedy has released a statement in which he says that his personal safety is being threatened.
“I respect the NFL, it’s players and fans of all races and cultures and I would never use or publicly shout racial slurs or threatening language,” he said. “It is simply not who I am. What’s been said about me on national and international media is not truly and deeply hurtful, being called a racist for something I did not say has caused serious damage to my family business, reputation and it has put my personal safety at risk.”
Multiple Parties, Including Ford Field, Home Of The Detroit Lions, Have Been Included
The incident took place during a December game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, a game in which the Lions ultimately lost by a 29-24 final score.
Metcalf was seen approaching Kennedy, later grabbing his shirt and appearing to shove him away in what was an altercation that went viral.
Later, Johnson said during an episode of the Nightcap podcast that Kennedy used both racial and misogynistic slurs against Metcalf and his mother, which the lawsuit emphatically denies.
“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit alleges. “Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word’; did not call Defendant Metcalf mother a ‘c—‘; and did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever. . . . Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”
Metcalf was suspended for two games without pay for his role in the incident.
Ryan Kennedy Has Reportedly Faced Harassment And Threats
Jon Marko, an attorney for Kennedy, said that his client has faced threats online along with damage to his reputation as a result of allegations being spread by various outlets.
“The false allegations, which were republished by major outlets including ESPN, Yahoo Sports, and USA Today, went viral across social media platforms with millions of views, branding Kennedy as a racist on a national scale and subjecting him to death threats, hate mail, and severe damage to his business reputation,” Marko said in a statement.
“Despite Kennedy’s attorneys sending formal retraction demands to the defendants, none have issued public corrections or clarifications, allowing the false narrative to persist and continue causing harm to Kennedy’s personal and professional life.”
Not only is Kennedy seeking $100 million worth of damages, but also wants a “full public retraction and correction of defamatory statements” from both Johnson and Sharpe.
Major Statement Released By Lions Fan Ryan Kennedy Amidst $100 Million Lawsuit