• Loading stock data...
Sunday, April 20, 2025

Deadspin Alters Controversial ‘Black Face’ Story Amid Legal Threat

  • The website changed the headline and photo on Thursday and added an editor’s note.
  • The media company reportedly received a letter from a law firm threatening legal action.
Deadspin
Deadspin

Deadspin removed the words “Black face” from a headline as part of an overhaul of a story that led to outrage and accusations that the outlet was unfairly targeting a young Kansas City Chiefs fan. 

The photo that ran with the story, which showed only half of the 9-year-old fan’s face during a Chiefs road game in Las Vegas, was replaced with a picture of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Editors also added an extended note to the top of the story.

“The story’s intended focus was the NFL and its failure to extend those rules to the entire league,” the note stated. “We regret any suggestion that we were attacking the fan. To that end, our story was updated on Dec. 7 to remove any photos, tweets, links, or otherwise identifying information about the fan. We have also revised the headline to better reflect the substance of the story.”

The change, first reported by Outkick, comes after Clare Locke, a firm representing the parents of the young fan, demanded a retraction under threat of legal action, according to NewsNation. 

But changing a story 10 days after it was published may not mean Deadspin is off the hook legally if the parents choose to file a defamation lawsuit, sports law attorney Dan Lust told Front Office Sports. 

“If you were the family and you were feeling motivated to sue because of the damage that this caused in your life, this retraction is a little bit too late,” said Lust, co-host of the Conduct Detrimental podcast. “Deadspin let the story hang out for a certain amount of time, his face was already the subject of the article for the world to see. An apology is not going to rid the harm that this has already done. [Deadspin] put something that is allegedly false, and portrayed something in a false light.”

The Deadspin story did not name the young fan, although other outlets identified the child along with his parents shortly after the article was published last week. Other photos from the game, including those posted by his parents on Facebook, showed both sides of the young fan’s face, immediately leading to questions about why Deadspin continued to use the original headline, which referenced “Black face.”

Lust drew attention to the first part of the editor’s note, which reads: “Deadspin published an opinion piece criticizing the NFL for allowing a young fan to attend the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 26 wearing a traditional Native American headdress and, based upon the available photo, what appeared to be black face paint.”

“There was only one photo available?” Lust asked. “I would really hammer that phrasing if I was an attorney [representing the parents]. They didn’t say, ‘Based on all the photos we had available at our disposal as well as a diligent search of the internet, and a review of all the video we could find from the game.’ It was ‘based upon the available photo.’”

Clare Locke, which represented far-right activist group Project Veritas and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in defamation cases, did not return several messages left by FOS this week. 

A message left with a spokesperson for G/O Media, Deadspin’s parent company, was not immediately returned. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL Draft Set to Kick Off at Lambeau Field and Command the..

Green Bay is expecting about 250,000 people to attend the draft.
Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) throws during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 22, 2024. Ohio State won 42-17.

Former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava Will Transfer to UCLA

The news ends a weeklong saga for the embattled quarterback.
Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates with guard Isaiah Joe (11) after score in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.

Unorthodox OKC: The Thunder Redefined Tanking to Become NBA’s Best

A rebuild years in the making has OKC in the driver’s seat.
Kendrick Lamar

Drake Lawsuit Says Kendrick Lamar Defamed Him At Super Bowl

Drake says taking out the word “pedophile” didn’t erase the defamation.

Featured Today

Mar 13, 2020; Augusta, GA, USA; The front entrance at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday morning. The Masters Tournament has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
opinion

What’s It Like to Play Augusta? A Day on the World’s Most..

Inside a round at the most exclusive club in the world.
Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) watches as center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after making a three point basket to clinch a win against the Toronto Raptors near the end of the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena
April 19, 2025

Same Owner, New Knicks: New York’s Remarkable Rebound

The franchise’s renaissance didn’t happen overnight.
Masters
April 18, 2025

Why The Masters Quietly Cracked Down on Ticket Resellers

Insiders expect big changes are coming to ticketing at Augusta National.
exclusive
April 16, 2025

Inside Nico Iamaleava’s Ugly Breakup With Tennessee

Iamaleava’s representatives claim to FOS he didn’t push for more NIL money.
Netflix

Netflix Rises While Markets Slide—Thanks in Part to Live Sports

The streaming giant beats financial expectations as its sports presence grows.
April 15, 2025

WNBA Draft Draws 1.25M Viewers, Second-Best Behind 2.45M Last Year

Paige Bueckers was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.
Lee Corso
April 17, 2025

Lee Corso Will Retire From ESPN at 90

The broadcaster is hanging up his headgear in August.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

This week, Two-time Super Bowl Champion and CBS NFL analyst Logan Ryan joins us to talk the business of sports on our third installment of Portfolio Players.
April 15, 2025

NBA Regular-Season Ratings Dip 2%, In Line With the NFL

The NFL also saw a 2% viewership decline last season.
April 14, 2025

Masters Final Round Draws 12.7M Viewers, Golf’s Best Since 2018

The final round was the most-watched golf event in seven years.
April 14, 2025

NBA Play-In Tourney Gets Warriors Boost Before Move to Streaming

The Play-In Tournament will stream on Amazon Prime Video starting next season.
April 14, 2025

NHL Playoffs Face Ratings Risks With Canadian Focus, Original Six Absence

The field includes no U.S. Original Six teams and a heavy Canadian presence.