White has reportedly amassed between $20-40M through prize money, sponsorships and endorsementsGETTY IMAGES
It is "too early to say" if U.S. snowboarder Shaun White will lose any endorsements with a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him in '16 back in the headlines, but it "doesn't help ... that there seems to be rising criticism of White on social media," according to Simon Dumenco of AD AGE. Brands so far "seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach" as to whether they will continue to work with the three-time Gold Medalist, as none of his "known sponsors have publicly distanced themselves from him." White "weathered earlier controversy" after being arrested in '12 (ADAGE.com, 2/14). FAST COMPANY's KC Ifeanyi noted White is one of today’s "richest Olympians, having reportedly amassed a fortune" between $20-40M through prize money, sponsorships and endorsements. He has "struck deals with Burton, Oakley, Target, HP, Beats by Dre, Red Bull, Playstation, Verizon, and more." NBC recently released an ad that "all but deifies White, calling him 'the best of U.S.'" It is "unlikely reporters will lose interest in the sexual harassment suit over the next several days," but will White’s "corporate partners lose enthusiasm in him?" (FASTCOMPANY.com, 2/14). White today "apologized after dismissing the sexual misconduct allegations made against him ... as 'gossip' shortly after winning his third Olympic gold medal in the men's halfpipe" (AP, 2/15).
TOO LATE TO SAY SORRY? In San Diego, Mark Zeigler writes White is the "biggest star of these Games and now, overnight, maybe its biggest villain, too." Many fans will "hear the words 'sexual harassment' and that will be enough, and maybe it is." The circumstances of scandal "don’t matter to most people, nor should they." The string of text messages cited in the lawsuit is "enough, especially in the current climate, to paint an ugly picture of crossing lines, of abusing power, of aberrant behavior" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/15). In K.C., Lisa Gutierrez noted many "supporters of the #MeToo movement ... have been unhappy that White's allegedly abusive past went largely unaddressed as he soaked up praise for his win." Some felt that White "was given a pass because he can ride a snowboard well" (KANSASCITY.com, 2/14). In S.F., Ann Killon writes the #MeToo movement "arrived on Day 4" of the Pyeongchang Games and it is "sure to surface again before the flame is extinguished." There are going to be athletes who "no longer are going to be given a free pass because they can land back-to-back 1440s in the halfpipe" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/15). ESPN's Pablo Torre: "He is one of our greatest Olympians ever, but he's something more right now" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 2/14). In L.A., Robin Abcarian: "Why should Olympic athletes be immune to the reckoning that is sweeping across the rest of the globe?" (L.A. TIMES, 2/15). ESPN's Sarah Spain said the reaction to White's actions "felt symbolic of the whole #MeToo movement where you're just disappointed in someone that you've built up to love" ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 2/14).
REAL WORLD MAKES THINGS MESSY: In Denver, Mark Kiszla writes fans "buy into red, white and blue myths at the Olympics" and "gasp with delight as White nails a circus trick in the halfpipe." If fans "don’t look beyond the snow globe of the Winter Olympics, White is a legend." When he "puts down the board and walks off the hill, however, life gets messier." Meanwhile, U.S. Snowboarding and Freeskiing Event Dir Nick Alexakos, who was moderating White's press conference yesterday after his win in the halfpipe event, demanded reporters "inquire only about the competition." It could be "reasonably surmised" the USOC was "protecting one of its most marketable stars, when the #MeToo movement has demanded accountability for sexual misconduct from Hollywood to Washington, D.C." (DENVER POST, 2/15). In DC, Jerry Brewer writes White "hoped to retreat into gold-medal deification and learned that being an athletic hero is not a lot more complicated, especially as an alleged harasser in this #MeToo era." He will be a "fascinating figure moving forward because, unlike others who have been shamed, fired or removed from the spotlight, White is not going to disappear" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/15). The Dallas Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw said the path for most public figures accused of sexual harassment, “whether actors or politicians, is they go away and disappear and we don't really hear from them.” People could argue White has been the "face of the Winter Olympics for as long as Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps have been the faces of the Summer Games.” Cowlishaw: “He’s trying to reclaim his image. I would say he’s just barely getting started on the road back to doing that” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 2/14).
