Randy Orton understands the Black Lives Matter movement. In May, the former WWE Champion went to Twitter and wrote “#BlackLivesMatter.” It was interesting considering he made it clear he was against Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports spoke to Orton about his view on Black Lives Matter, and Orton revealed why he changed his views.
“It took me a little time, but what I had to do was realize, Kaepernick, he wasn’t s—ing on the flag,” he said. “He wasn’t disrespecting the people that have given their lives for our freedom. He was taking a stand against police brutality. As a white guy, I don’t see it.” Orton went on to say he started listening to his “Black brothers and sisters” talking about their encounters with police. When Orton heard that, he said, “That’s when the lightbulb went off.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
All lives DO matter, but the point I was trying to make is that I finally realized that until #BlackLivesMatters, they can’t. Get it? https://t.co/KSf6VkMINq
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) May 29, 2020
“I’m embarrassed to say it, but it took me a little while, but I get it. What I said on Twitter, I stand behind. If anyone doesn’t agree with me, I think they need to do more digging.” Orton went on to mention Black wrestlers like Big E, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry and R-Truth, and the things that said about Black Lives Matter. He also made it clear, “All lives do matter, but like I said on Twitter, until black lives matter, all lives can’t matter. My only regret is that it took me a little bit and some soul searching to see that.”
There have been a number of WWE Superstars to speak out on the cause. Keith Lee was seen wearing trunks that had the phrase “Black Lives Matter” at the pay-per-view NXT TakeOver: In Your House. John Cena made a significant donation to the Black Lives Matter Movement and Big E and Kingston showed support for the movement by taking a knee before their match on SmackDown.
“The more that social media has allowed us to see these horrific videos — and it wasn’t just George Floyd. I’ve seen so many after I did a little digging,” Orton said. “You realize it is tough to be a black person in this country, and we’ve got a ways to go before all lives truly matter. I think what we have to do is make sure black lives matter.”
Most Viewed
-
(Credit: Rafa Jodar / Getty Images) -
TV talk show with female celebrity flat vector illustration. Woman sitting on sofa and talking with host, discussing news in studio. Videographers filming broadcasting. Television, interview concept -
A ring of vibrant marigold flowers with glowing candles at the center, set against a dark background. (Credit: Eduardo Monroy Husillos / Getty Images) -
Netflix logo is displayed during the 'Paris Games Week' on November 02, 2017 in Paris, France. (Credit: Chesnot / Getty Images) -
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images) -
NORTH BERGEN, NJ – AUGUST 23: Exterior view of a Walmart store on August 23, 2020 in North Bergen, New Jersey. Walmart saw its profits jump in latest quarter as e-commerce sales surged during the coronavirus pandemic (Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 13: (L-R) Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom attend the 10th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on April 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize)
