Ryan Garcia responds to backlash over latest controversy, Oscar De La Hoya comments

Ryan Garcia continues to spiral.

2024 has been a tumultuous year for Garcia who has seemingly courted controversy at every turn, and that continued this week as Garcia once again aroused the ire of the public during a Twitter Spaces livestream where he repeatedly used racial slurs and made homophobic, anti-semitic, and anti-muslim statements.

In response to his comments, the WBC quickly expelled Garcia from its organization, saying that it “rejects any form of discrimination,” and on Friday, Garcia responded to the severe public and professional backlash he engendered with a seemingly contradictory apology.

“I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone said that word that now I’m abolishing from my vocabulary,” Garcia said in an Instagram post. “I’ve supported many black men and black communities. I’m not mad at the outrage and I sincerely apologize if I hurt and offended anyone but my pain deserves to be felt.

“Black and brown have always united, and it will always be that way. I’m just a shade lighter [than] you, but I love you and I love black children to the point I’d [die] for a black child. I was actually speaking against black on black crime. [Again] I’m sorry.”

But while the post is an apology that nonetheless does not address many of the other incendiary statements including making death threats towards communities as a whole, the picture of the post is another thing entirely, seemingly contradicting his apology by defending his comments and blaming those who were offended as being “too sensitive.”

“Let me get this straight, I’ve actually supported black communities, have taken racism from Tim Bradley calling me a zoo animal on ESPN, and [turned] the other cheek but I’m racist [because] everyone was just drunk and saying shit people say all the time including black men,” Garcia’s statement reads.

“If you get triggered by a word that means you are too sensitive. God knows my heart and how I would protect black children [until] the day I die. I was speaking against black on black crime, they took everything out of context, including the [Muslim] part. I spoke against pedo activity in every [religion] and how I don’t stand for that.”

Garcia also continued to shirk responsibility for his actions in the comments of his post, blaming his friends for pressuring him into using slurs, before adding that he was going to check himself into rehab.

“Plus it was my friend that asked me to say that word and hyped me up. No excuses, I’m just saying. Also, my friends from high school used to actually force me to say it. I grew up that way.

“I’m also headed to rehab.”

Garcia previously spoke about issues with substance abuse and in a third iteration of an apology posted later on Twitter, he again brought up he struggles.

“I take all responsibility for my words,” Garcia said. “I’m misunderstood, I just got a lot of trauma. And It’s been a tough couple of months as everyone can tell but I AM SORRY. I struggle with substance abuse and it hard for me with everything going on. I actually love black people no cap which is why I’m actually said I offended all my black family and friends. This sucks but all I can do is be better and stop using stupid words and letting some people in my circle hype me up. Sorry everyone that I offended. I still stand on stopping black on black crime. And that I hate pedo’s so that will always remain something I stand on.”

Garcia’s many statements were not the only responses to come out on Friday though as his promoter Oscar De La Hoya also went on Instagram to comment on his charge’s controversy, condemning Garcia’s actions but offering his full support to his fighter.

“There is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period. I condemn Ryan’s words in the strongest terms possible. I see that he has apologized, and that is a start — but it is only a start to earn back the trust and respect of those of us who have and continue to support him. We hope Ryan will use the time he has away from the sport to work through the issues he has publicly discussed. We stand ready to help in whatever [way] we can.”

Garcia is currently serving a one-year suspension following a failed drug test for his fight with Devin Haney back in April.