Police Conduct Welfare Check on Ja Morant After Social Media Posts
Tennessee police completed a welfare check at Ja Morant’s home Wednesday after the Grizzlies star made multiple mysterious posts on his Instagram Story.
According to TMZ, the Shelby County Sherriff’s Office visited Morant’s home to make sure he was all right and safe. The check-in came after the 23-year-old posted and subsequently deleted posts on his Instagram Story early Wednesday with pictures and captions that included “Love ya ma” with a heart emoji, “love ya pops” with a heart emoji and “you da greatest baby girl” with another heart. He concluded the series of posts with an abrupt message of “bye.”
A spokesperson from the sheriff’s office reported that the two-time All-Star “is fine” and that he is “taking a break from social media,” per TMZ. The Commercial Appeal also confirmed the report.
The latest news surrounding Morant comes after he appeared to display a gun during an Instagram Live video from his friend’s account—Davonte Pack—on May 13. Memphis suspended Morant from all team activities, and the league opened an investigation into the incident.
The investigation is still ongoing and no update has been provided regarding Morant’s status with the Grizzlies.
The latest off-court incident involving Morant comes after he served an eight-game suspension in March when a different Instagram Live video surfaced of him flashing a gun inside a Colorado nightclub. He returned to the team following the suspension and finished the year with the Grizzlies, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
More than a week ago, Morant wrote a statement to ESPN, apologizing for the second incident, saying that he takes full responsibility for his behavior.
“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said in the statement. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”
Though he remains suspended for now, Morant could potentially face a “lengthy suspension” from the league regarding his current situation once the investigation is completed.
