Report: Under Armour Has 'Parted Ways' With Former Chiefs Running Back Kareem Hunt
Under Armour has "parted ways" with former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. The back was released by Kansas City on Friday night after graphic video surfaced earlier in the day that showed the star running back assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a Cleveland hotel, Holden Wilen of the Baltimore Business Journal reports.
A spokeswoman for Baltimore-based Under Armour informed the Baltimore Business Journal Saturday morning that the brand "parted ways" with the Pro Bowler. The video of Hunt was released as Under Armour was already working to repair its own image with women after a recent Wall Street Journal report on the company's culture.
The Nov. 5 WSJ expose describes a culture in which the company regularly reimbursed employees for strip club visits, female employees were reportedly invited to events based on attractiveness, and where women felt like they were not given a fair chance at promotions, among other allegations.
Hunt was in his second season in the NFL and his second year as an Under Armour athlete when the video was released by TMZ Sports on Friday afternoon. The video showed Hunt pushing, shoving and kicking a woman, Kent State student Abigail Ottinger, in a hotel.
Shortly after it surfaced, the 23-year-old running back was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt list, subsequently released outright by the Chiefs Friday night and dropped by Under Armour on Saturday.
The incident depicted in the video was initially reported in February, but it is unclear whether the NFL or the Chiefs tried to pursue hotel surveillance footage of the attack at that time. Police were called to the hotel but no charges were filed and no one was arrested.
After leading the NFL in rushing yards last season, Hunt was never suspended by the NFL for the incident. He had tallied 824 yards and seven touchdowns through 11 games this season for the 9–2 Chiefs, who travel to play the Raiders on Sunday.
Hunt is now without a team and one less sponsorship as the NFL continues it's investigation into the incident with the new information brought to light in the footage.
