American football star Odell Beckham Jr. wants the world to know he doesn’t care about gay rumors surrounding his personal life.
In a new interview with GQ, the New York Giants star claims the rumors started after an altercation with fellow player Jason Norman of the Carolina Panthers. The altercation culminated with Norman threatening Beckham with a baseball bat and shouting homophobic slurs at him. The incident landed Beckham in a one-game suspension and ignited all kinds of speculation about him on gossip sites.
Now Beckham has addressed the controversy and the anxiety that followed. “I’ve never had an opportunity to talk about this,” Beckham explains. “Honestly wasn’t offended. I’ve never once had no problem with anybody who has their own personal life that they live. I have friends who are gay. It was almost more funny to me. I almost messed with them even more. It’s like when someone gives me an ultimatum, I’m usually always going to go to the opposite way of what you want me to go. So when they would say that, I would almost mess with them even more. I have no problem with anyone’s sexual orientation.”
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When asked about homophobia within the black community, and how any deviation from a supposed norm or sign of affection between men can fuel rumors, Beckham also gave a candid response.
“Even like little videos where they see me leaned back or something, they’ll say that I’m looking at a guy’s ass,” he laments. “And I’m like, ‘Bro! You don’t even know where my mind is at.’ It was just a lose-lose. They’d see me with a white woman and be like, ‘Why don’t you be with any sisters?’ I have no problem with any race. Love is love. If you’re attracted to somebody, you’re attracted to somebody. There was such a stigma built up, [as though] I don’t like my own women. It’s like, no, I don’t like anybody who annoys me.”
Beckham may not play for our team, but we’re glad to have him on our side.
mydude
I’m sorry and let me be clear, he owes us nothing, least of all an explanation; he’s a grown man, but he had years of opportunity to address this, so that’s not true and it sounds like a lie.
He (like many other celebs, JGL, Channing) give the rumors endless fuel by their silence…and the company they keep, so save me the “black homophobia” angle.
domen8r
mydude, is “JGL” voice-to-text for J Gyllenhaal? Assing for a friend
mydude
It was Joseph Gordon Levitt
Gay Veteran
OBJ just sounds like a good ally. I was won over by him when Indya Moore told the story of him(OBJ) going out his way to include her in this Met Gala picture with all the black celebrities in attendance.
Donston
Well, being a “queer ally” doesn’t mean that you fully accept gay identifying men and are truly cool with gay passions and relationships. Just like there are many people who are cool with “gay” but feel some type of way when it comes to trans issues. Liam Payne shouted out trans people but he’s also said a couple of anti-gay/homophobic things. Embracing one aspect of “queerness” doesn’t mean you embrace it all. Having said this, I don’t think Odell is like this. I’m just saying that being “tolerate” or supportive of one thing does not equate to being comfortable with it all.
Gay Veteran
You typed all of that for a hypothetical… OBJ has shown he’s an ally to the entire community. I just chose to acknowledge a moment where he included a black trans woman aka the most disrespected member of our “community”… Indya voiced how much it warmed her heart so I found it significant.
boymikefl
You know what I love? The gays, in popular opinion, have won. Look at Mike Pence vs. our little Pete. Mikey is getting slaughtered for his “religous” views. People are finally realizing that M.P’s “religion” is not the holy grail of religions. Sure, America as most, is a follow the leader type place. God forbid you go against the grain. Ask Madonna. Persecuted most of her career.
furrychest
Ummm…..The Giants traded OBJ to Cleveland in March. He’s now a Brown
Donston
I was just about to post that. And as someone who was born in Cleveland and has been a fan of Cleveland sports teams my whole life, I can’t wait for the next NFL season.
Kangol2
OBJ is a Cleveland Brown now and has repeatedly slammed the NY Giants, including just yesterday. He’s also always played a bit with the queer rumors, repeatdly laughed them off. (He gets points for saying “sexual orientation” as opposed to “sexual preference,” too.) The queer rumors and attacked surged yet again after this year’s Met Gala, when OBJ showed up in that hot kilt. (And his now former teammate Saquon Barkley wore tight shorts that gloriously showed off his muscular butt and legs.) He didn’t give two f****, and looked great in it. He’s not a homophobe and refuses to buckle under to pressure to conform to what people want, so more power to him.
MISTERJETT
if he’s not gay, i’d be very surprised.