Randy Orton was called racist, but only by a small section of WWE fans when he used the N-word during a Twitch stream. Many believed the wrestler didn’t mean to say the word maliciously.
WWE superstars aren’t certainly the best examples of ideal role models. On Saturday, the WWE boss Vince McMahon resigned from his position after he was hit with a trafficking lawsuit.
And this isn’t the first time the wrestling organization’s name has been tainted. In 2019, after Orton used the N-word, the founder of AEW, Tony Khan, roasted him on X (formerly Twitter).
Previously, in 2018, an unsettling story of Orton made headlines. In a 2012 podcast episode, the former WWE writer Court Bauer accused Orton of exposing himself to new writers as a form of “initiation.”
Later, WWE stated that they were looking into the matter, but that “alleged” incident certainly didn’t affect Orton’s career.
Is Randy Orton Racist? Are There Allegations Against The WWE Superstar?
The WWE superstar and legend Randy Orton was called a racist when he used the N-word during a Twitch Stream in 2019. The wrestler faced backlash after the video went viral.
The clip of Orton using the N-word is still present on YouTube and Reddit. The video has accumulated thousands of views. Several wrestling fans said it wasn’t a big deal as Randy’s tone didn’t sound mean.
One user on YouTube even wrote, “Randy’s the homie! Ain’t no ill intentions in that at all!” The Reddit post dedicated to the topic had a mixed vibe, with one user going as far as to explain the difference between using -er and -a.
The user wrote that Randy isn’t the first person outside the cultural demographic to use the word and that his intention didn’t sound malicious. Previously, WWE co-founder Vince McMahon also used the word that on national TV during a 2005 event.
McMahon said the word to John Cena in front of black wrestlers Booker T and Sharmell, leaving them stunned. In 2015, Hulk Hogan’s WWE contract was terminated after tapes recorded in 2007 revealed his racist rant.
In the tape, Hogan rants about his daughter sleeping with a black man and uses the N-word liberally. Though at the time, WWE took strict action against Hulk Hoga, they brought him back three years later, in 2018.
He was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame and was later invited backstage to WWE’s Extreme Rules. So, WWE certainly doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to tackling racism.
Has Randy Orton Learnt From His Past?
Only a year after using the N-word during the Twitch stream, Orton came out in full support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2020, when the country was engulfed in protests surrounding police brutality, the WWE star voiced his support for the BLM movement.
In 2016, Orton had criticized the former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem. Kaepernick did so to protest systemic racism and police brutality.
But following George Flyod’s death, Orton changed his mind. During an interview with CBS Sports, Orton said, “It took me a little time, but what I had to do was realize Kaepernick, he wasn’t s—— on the flag.
“He wasn’t disrespecting the people who have given their lives for our freedom. He was taking a stand against police brutality.”
Orton further explained his point and said that as a white guy, he didn’t see the difference. But the wrestler said he started listening to his black brothers and sisters. He also called out one of his fans for the phrase “all lives matter.”
Orton replied, “All lives DO matter, but the point I was trying to make is that I finally realized that until Black Lives Matter, they can’t.”
