(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The parents of a nine-year-old boy falsely accused of wearing blackface at a Kansas City Chiefs game are threatening legal action against the media outlet that first reported the allegations.
Holden Armenta, a young boy who painted his face in red and black, faced widespread social media criticism after sports blog site Deadspin published an article showing part of his face covered in black while also wearing a headdress in support of his team.
BREAKING: The parents of 9-year old Holden Armenta are threatening to sue Deadspin for slandering their son by saying he wore “Black face.”
Do it! 🔥
Shannon and Raul Armenta have hired Clare Locke LLP, demanding that they issue a retraction of the viral story.
It gets better:… pic.twitter.com/gJShq1MFKW
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 4, 2023
The parents, quick to highlight that their child is Native American and not wearing blackface, retained the services of prominent law firm Clare Locke LLP to demand a retraction of the article or face legal consequences.
“These Articles, posts on X, and photos about Holden and his parents must be retracted immediately,” a letter read, according to NewsNation.
“It is not enough to quietly remove a tweet from X or disable the article from Deadspin’s website. You must publish your retractions and issue an apology to my clients with the same prominence and fanfare with which you defamed them,” the letter added.
Notably, Clare Locke LLP is recognized for its involvement in assisting Dominion Voting Systems in securing a $787.5 million settlement against cable network Fox News.
This demand follows the child’s mother, Shannon Armenta, addressing rumors on Facebook that her son intended disrespect toward racial minorities. “This has nothing to do with the NFL,” Armenta emphasized. “He is Native American – just stop already.”
Both the child’s father, Bubba, and the boy himself appeared on Fox News, expressing distress over the unwarranted attention they received following the Deadspin article’s publication. Bubba said the child was “upset” and “pretty devasted” when he was faced with the false accusations.
EXCLUSIVE: The 9-year-old Chiefs fan, who was falsely smeared as a racist for supporting his team, speaks out on Primetime.
Holden Armenta says this whole thing has been scary and overwhelming. His father, Bubba, says it’s too late for an apology- the damage is already done. pic.twitter.com/8T4WsMsvm6
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) November 30, 2023
In the controversial article, Deadspin senior editor Carron J. Phillips criticized the child for the alleged blackface and called on the NFL to take action against the take action against so-called instances of racism.
“It takes a lot to disrespect two groups of people at once. But on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, a Kansas City Chiefs fan found a way to hate black people and the Native Americans at the same time,” Phillips claimed in the story.
“Despite their age, who taught that person that what they were wearing was appropriate?” Phillips continued, addressing the child directly.
