Coyotes' Raffi Torres Dresses as Jay-Z for Halloween, Sparks Criticism
At the Phoenix Coyotes’ Halloween party, hard-hitting NHL star Raffi Torres dressed up as Jay-Z and his wife, as a pregnant Beyonce, Yahoo! Sports reports. The photo was acquired from a tweet by fellow Coyotes teammate Paul Bissionette.
There has been some outrage expressed, claiming the costume is racially insensitive, due to Torres’ use of “blackface.”
Bissonette quickly responded via Twitter to the outcry saying:
“As far as everyone trying to call 'Racism' because Raffi dressed up like Jay-Z can simmer down. He's a huge Jay-Z fan.”
Torres, who is the first player of Mexican and Peruvian descent in the NHL has also faced reportedly dealt with racism. At a young age, Torres’ mother was told her son should be “selling tacos” instead of playing on ice according to The Columbus Dispatch.
