Brett Favre released a statement to his Facebook page over the weekend saying he was duped into recording a video message containing anti-Semitic language.
The former Vikings, Packers and Jets Hall of Fame quarterback said he received a request to record a message giving a shoutout to a group that “appeared to be a U.S. veterans organization,” but was “distressed to learn that the request came from an anti-Semitic group that reposted my video with comments implying that I endorsed their mission.”
Favre added that “nothing could be further from the truth.”
The app Favre recorded the message through, called Cameo, deleted the video as soon as it learned about the group’s anti-Semitic ties, and later released a statement supporting Favre.
“This was a blatant misuse of the Cameo platform and a violation of Cameo’s terms of service. This is the first incident of its kind in more than 93,000 Cameos and a gross misrepresentation of the talent’s political beliefs.”
According to Buzzfeed, the video request came from white supremacist YouTubers who had Favre read coded, anti-Semitic language, which said as follows:
“Brett Favre here with a shout-out to the Handsome Truth and the GDL boys. You guys are patriots in my eyes. So keep waking them up and don’t let the small get you down. Keep fighting, too, and don’t ever forget the USS Liberty and the men and women who died on that day. God bless and take care.”
Favre wrote that it “sickened” him to see another “prime example of how these groups are misusing social media to promote their agenda,” adding: “I thought I was creating a message to support the brave men and women of our military forces. Had I understood the source of the request, I never would have fulfilled it.”
