It’s been eight days since troubling footage emerged of Dana White slapping his wife at a Mexican nightclub on New Year’s Eve, and pressure has mounted well beyond the MMA community for UFC parent company Endeavor to take action.
On Monday, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus (CLWC) posted online a letter addressed to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel calling for “the immediate removal” of White as UFC president. To this point, Endeavor has remained silent about White’s domestic violence incident that was caught on video. The political women’s advocacy group of 18 state senators and 33 assemblywomen made clear in the letter just how troubling that is to them.
“Your continued silence speaks volumes,” the letter reads. “As you once wrote: ‘Silence and inaction are not an option.’ … Every day that Mr. White’s actions go unaccounted for, your silence becomes more piercing and troubling.”
In an interview with TMZ in coordination with the release of the disturbing video, White owned up to his actions and said “there’s no excuse” for slapping his wife and pushing her down to the ground after she slapped him during an argument. Prior to his wife’s slap, video shows White grabbing his wife by the wrist.
White’s words fell in line with his comments from a 2014 interview in which he stated, “There’s one thing that you never bounce back from, and that’s putting your hands on a woman.”
In concluding its letter, the CLWC seemingly called back to those comments.
“The head of a major sporting organization cannot claim to be for the safety of women while a video of him striking his wife continues to circulate online without a response from you,” it read. “The hypocrisy is astounding. Enough is enough. It is time to remove Mr. White from his leadership role, to allow him and his partner to get the help they need while reminding the world of what Endeavor stands for and that violence against women is not a conduct that you condone.”
In addition to Endeavor, the UFC has declined to officially comment on the situation.
You can read the CLWC’s full letter below:
We write with deep concern about the recent violent video we have seen online from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U.F.C.) President Dana White. Our caucus, which is both bicameral and bipartisan, is composed of women across the State of California who are committed to creating better lives for women and girls. We care deeply about intimate partner violence, and we have seen how partner violence affects the lives of children and families. Most importantly, we are deeply aware of how impactful our actions are on the minds of young people, who learn from what we tolerate and what we condemn.
Given Mr. White’s previous remarks against domestic partner violence, we believed that Endeavor and the U.F.C. shared this commitment to safety, respect, and accountability. You yourself have written extensively about the need to speak out and act when we see things that are not in line with our values.
And yet, we have seen the video of U.F.C. President Dana White, where he strikes his wife at a New Year’s Eve celebration with a closed fist. We were appalled. It was alarming to say the least.
In the days since the video was released, you have remained silent. Your continued silence speaks volumes. As you once wrote: “Silence and inaction are not an option.”
We agree — and we are urging you to take immediate action. Like you, we are people who live by our values.
We, too, are people of action. We are allies against violence, advocates for women, and we are parents like yourself. This is why it is clear to us: we are calling for the immediate removal of Mr. White as President of the U.F.C.
Every day that Mr. White’s actions go unaccounted for, your silence becomes more piercing and troubling. At this point, thousands of young men, women, and adults worldwide have seen the video of Mr. White striking his wife. We have also seen his apology. What we have not seen is any consequences for his actions.
As Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor, the U.F.C.’s parent company, you have the authority to decide who leads the U.F.C., which is one of the world’s most watched sporting leagues, with millions of fans across the globe. Mr. White is not only the external face of the U.F.C., he is the leader who sets the expectations for the athletes as well. He is the leader who has explained in years past that he stands firmly against domestic violence. If an athlete were to commit violence against their partner, Mr. White is the leader within U.F.C. who will have to determine the consequence. The eyes of the world are on him and on Endeavor.
The head of a major sporting organization cannot claim to be for the safety of women while a video of him striking his wife continues to circulate online without a response from you. The hypocrisy is astounding. Enough is enough. It is time to remove Mr. White from his leadership role, to allow him and his partner to get the help they need while reminding the world of what Endeavor stands for and that violence against women is not a conduct that you condone.
Sincerely,
Nancy Skinner, Chair Senator, 7th DistrictCecilia Aguiar-Curry, Vice Chair Assemblymember, 4th District
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can contact the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
