Conor McGregor dumped by Proper No. 12 Irish whiskey empire after sexual assault ruling

· New York Post

Conor McGregor is being dropped by Proper No. 12, the Irish whiskey empire he helped construct, the company announced Tuesday.

The decision comes just days after the fighter was found liable in an Irish court for the sexual assault of a woman in 2018.

Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor arrives at court, on the day he attends a civil trial on allegations of sexual assault, in Dublin, Ireland. REUTERS
A spokesperson for Proximo Spirits, owner of Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey, said the brand would no longer use McGregor’s name, image or likeness. Sportsfile via Getty Images

“Since 2021, Proximo Spirits has been the 100 [percent] owner of Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey,” a spokesperson told TMZ. “Going forward, we do not plan to use Mr. McGregor’s name and likeness in the marketing of the brand.”

McGregor and his partners sold his majority stake in the company to Proximo Spirits for $600 million in 2021.

Proximo Spirits, which also owns Jose Cuervo among other spirits, is not the only brand to make such an announcement on the heels of the court case — which concluded with the Dublin-based jury awarding the woman nearly $257,000 in retribution for McGregor “brutally rap[ing] and batter[ing]” her.

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor and partner Dee Devlin leave the High Court in Dublin, Ireland on Friday Nov. 22, 2024. AP

Musgrave, a retail chain with more than 1,250 shops, said it would withdraw all drinks McGregor is associated with from their stores.

And IO Interactive, developer behind the popular “Hitman” video game, said it would be scrubbing all McGregor-related content from their products this week.

“In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately,” the organization said.

Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin speaks with the media outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, after a civil jury found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. AP

In his first statement since the trial, McGregor apologized to his fiancee, Dee Devlin, for his infidelity but purported his innocence. 

“People want to hear from me, I needed time,” McGregor wrote on X. “I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me.

“As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath. I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision. 

“I can’t go back and I will move forward. I am beyond grateful to my family, friends and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my side. That’s it. No more. Getting back to the gym — the fight game awaits!”