The Lions fan who was assaulted by Steelers star DK Metcalf last week is strongly denying that he used any racial slurs and demands that the wide receiver tell the truth about what really happened.
Ryan Kennedy, the fan in a blue wig who found himself on the receiving end of a punch from Metcalf, held a press conference Friday (without the wig) where he, accompanied by his attorneys, gave reporters his version of events that preceded the violent altercation with Metcalf.
Chiefly, Kennedy shot down Metcalf’s claim that he used racial slurs during their brief argument and demanded that the Steelers star retract the claim under threat of potential litigation.
Kennedy also claims Metcalf’s racial accusations led to him receiving death threats.
“I want to be crystal clear about one thing,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t use any racial slurs, no hate speech, none of that stuff at the game.”
“Being falsely branded as a racist is one of the most damaging accusations that a private citizen can endure,” Kennedy’s lawyer, Shawn Head, said while his client sat next to him. “It’s dangerous and causes very real consequences and very real damage.”
Kennedy’s lawyer held open the possibility of legal action should Metcalf refuse to deny the claims of a racial taunt.
“The goal here is accountability and to correct the record,” Head said. “The false accusations or racial statements or racial slurs being used causes real damage and that needs to be corrected. … (Metcalf) can come out and tell the truth and indicate that he never heard any racial slur uttered by Mr. Kennedy.
“Right now we’re evaluating all of our options, of course, and we’re going to make sure we use any legal remedies available to protect Ryan Kennedy and his family. We’re not going to litigate this in the media. We’re here today to set the record straight.”
Head stated that he has reached out to Metcalf’s representatives and asked them to have the receiver publicly state that Kennedy did not use a racial slur. However, the lawyer says he has not heard back.
Former NFL receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recently declared on his podcast that Kennedy had used a racial slur.
“Obviously, I am not condoning putting your hands on a fan or punching the fan, but he did call him a racial slur, called him the n-word, and he did call his mom a c—t,” Johnson said on his Nightcap podcast.
Kennedy’s lawyer stridently denied those claims.
“Ryan Kennedy did not use the n-word. Ryan Kennedy did not use the c-word, and he did not use any racial slurs whatsoever, at any time,” Head said. “Those claims are absolutely false. They’re not supported by any audio or video recordings, they’re not supported by any eyewitness statements, and they’re not supported by the investigation that was conducted by Ford Field personnel on the day of the incident.”
Kennedy’s attorney went on to list the harmful and dangerous impacts of Metcalf’s racial accusations. Specifically, death threats against his client and his client’s family, as well as bad reviews of Kennedy’s personal business.
In his first interview after the incident, Kennedy told the Detroit Free Press that he had only referred to Metcalf by his official name, DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf, which angered the receiver.
“DeKaylin, if you’re watching this, man, just, if you could just say that [he didn’t use a racial slur] please, like, my family is getting threats and stuff and it’s not cool,” Kennedy said. “Whether you said that or not, I’m sure you didn’t want that to happen to the family. Even if you did, like, I forgive you, man.”
Earlier this week, Metcalf was suspended for the final two games of the regular season for violating the league’s conduct policy. Of equal importance to Metcalf, the penalty voids $45 million in guarantees on his 5-year $150 million contract he signed with Pittsburgh earlier this year.
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