UFC star Andrea Lee has been caught up in a controversy over her husband’s tattoo of a swastika on his left arm. As Fox News reports, a photo of Lee posing with her husband, Donny Aaron, revealed the Nazi ink near his left elbow crease, prompting outrage and accusations of anti-Semitism and racism. Andrea ‘KGB’ Lee’s husband has a swastika tattooed on his forearm. pic.twitter.com/NTntH0paRr — Flyin’ Brian J (@FlyinBrianJ) June 2, 2018 According to another poster, Aaron also has SS bolts — another Nazi-era “hate symbol” identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a mark used by white supremacists — on his right arm, just below the elbow. Got SS bolts on the other arm pic.twitter.com/8SRzlyvu5z — Jason Payne Infinity War Grief Counselor (@Grapplnpolymath) June 2, 2018 Mixed martial arts fans were quick to react to the offensive symbol. Andrea Lee's husband doesn't think these KKK members are racist because the picture is in black and white. pic.twitter.com/VkPOUgiB5e — Dave Madden (@DaveMMAdden) June 2, 2018 Lee initially responded to the backlash by firing off an angry tweet explaining that Aaron’s swastika tattoo dates back to his time in prison. Court records show that Aaron was convicted of negligent homicide for the 2005 fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, Ronald Jamison. Story continues Lee defended the ink and called her critics “sensitive ass mofos.” She has since deleted the tweet. It's just a Nazi tattoo. You "sensitive ass mofos." pic.twitter.com/RbQ6A6BHi6 — JE Snowden (@JESnowden) June 2, 2018 Aaron, meanwhile, tweeted that his tattoos “don’t define who I am” but claimed that getting them removed would make him look “even more redneck.” Thank you. That’s what I’ve tried to do is reinvent my life. My scars bring this up from time to time but my tattoos don’t define who I am ppl say get it covered or removed. Trust me if this were possible I would. However it would end up looking even more red neck than it does. https://t.co/o02zuhibQJ — Donny Aaron (@outlawmuaythai) June 2, 2018 Both Lee and Aaron have since issued longer statements, with Lee apologizing for causing offense with her first tweet about the controversy. “The mistakes he made in his youth are not a representation of who he is today, which is a man that loves and respects everyone,” she said, adding that “the more I got to know him as a person, the less I noticed his skin.” She went on to reiterate that neither she nor her husband have racist views. Please read my full apology, this is to everyone who was upset or offended by me and my initial response. I sincerely apologize, it wasn’t thought out when I sent it, I deleted it immediately after I sent it when I was more rational and clear minded. forgive me pic.twitter.com/9td65xNAmo — Andrea Lee (@AndreaKGBLee) June 3, 2018 Aaron’s statement regarding his “abhorrent tattoos” also dismissed accusations of racism, though he referenced the “sins” of his past. He again explained that tattoo removal was not “an option.” Statement from Andrea Lee's coach/husband Donny Aaron about his tattoos: pic.twitter.com/vl6ciuru2t — Alex Scaffidi (@alex_scaffidi) June 3, 2018 The couple have also retweeted supportive messages saying Aaron shouldn’t be held accountable for his past. Everyone has a past. It's a shame today's society is so quick to point a finger without knowing details. I am a fan of your work & thst will not change. Live free! — Pitbull (@PitbullLove1970) June 3, 2018 We all have a past but we should not all be defined by it. Anyone who has talked to or met Donny knows he’s an amazing stand up guy. Sure he had a rough past but the amount of effort he’s put in to change the man he used to be into the man he is now is amazing. https://t.co/c3rNIbLKGI — Jag (@jagger_chadek) June 3, 2018 But others continue to question Aaron’s judgment in letting the ink stay put. Not wanting to cover up SS bolts and swastika tattoos because they would look "even more redneck” is almost as pathetic as getting the tattoos in the first place. Cringeworthy excuse. https://t.co/z1czNNtPV4 — Karim Zidan (@ZidanSports) June 2, 2018 Andrea Lee's husband has multiple neo nazi themed tattoos and often posts about his dislike of Muslims on his social media. But it's allgood though, because the have an Asian friend and a Black friend. Nothing to see here folks. All is good. #UFCUtica — Jordan Patu (@Jordan_Patu) June 2, 2018 Andrea Lee's husband: -Has Nazi tattoos -Went to prison for shooting an unarmed black man -Constantly speaks of his dislike of Muslims on social media -Fits right in with a lot of bald headed tatted MMA dudes But everyone is a snowflake who finds this troubling #UFC #AndreaLee — Umar Lee (@UmarLeeIII) June 3, 2018 Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Writer apologizes for asking Serena Williams about Trump claim that she’s ‘intimidated’ by Maria Sharapova’s ‘supermodel good looks’ Instagram dad lets daughter, 7, give him a tattoo White woman accused of appropriating Maori culture with chin tattoo Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.<doc-sep>Image : Instagram On Friday afternoon, UFC flyweight Andrea Lee posted a lakeside photograph of herself and her husband Donny Aaron. MMA fans quickly noticed something unexpected in the picture: a swastika tattoo on Aaron’s left forearm. Advertisement Cursory research showed that he has the SS logo tattooed on his right forearm. Aaron also serves as Lee’s coach, and he recently helped her win Fight of the Night honors at her UFC debut in Chile last month. After fans found out about his tattoos, he released a lengthy apology on the matter, in which he explained that he got them decades ago when he was in prison and that removing them or or covering them up is not an option. “These ‘scars’ tell my history which include a dark time when I was in prison,” he wrote. “However, they do not accurately represent who I am today as a person, my personal belief system and the respect I have for people of all races and religion. For 13 years I have tried to atone for my sins and seek forgiveness from those most certainly find my body reprehensible. I’ve, in most cases, gone to great lengths to always wear long sleeves in public setting.” Aaron, a former police officer, was found guilty of negligent homicide in 2009 after shooting an unarmed man seven times in 2005. He was incarcerated ahead of that conviction in 2007 because he allegedly beat up his ex-wife’s fiancé while awaiting trial. Lee, the former LFA flyweight champion, spent the weekend defending Aaron (who is grateful that “Sharia law” hasn’t forced his wife to wear a burqa) from the “sensitive ass mofos” who assumed Aaron’s Nazi tattoos might have indicated a fondness for racist ideology. Advertisement She has “many ethnic friends,” after all. Advertisement Lee later apologized for tweeting, and defended Aaron again in a more carefully worded way.<doc-sep>
UFC flyweight fighter Andrea “KGB” Lee sprang to the defense of her husband and manager, Donny Aaron, this weekend after posting a photo on social media that inadvertently revealed a Nazi tattoo on his arm. Amid the predictable social-media storm following the post, Aaron issued an apology for the “20-year-old mistake” of getting the tattoo while in prison. As photos attest (see below), Aaron is covered with tattoos, which he noted in his statement. “These ‘scars’ tell my history,” he wrote. “However, they don’t accurately represent who I am today.” He also apologized to Lee’s “employers at the UFC for bringing them shame and embarrassment.” But Lee, who pointed out that her nickname stands for “kicking guys’ balls,” was way less deferential. She insisted that “neither one of us are racists” and described those offended by the symbol as “sensitive-ass mofos.” She went on to tweet a compilation of photos from the lake outing, saying she “still had a great day at the lake with my fam,” and then jousting with several Twitter users who raised the tattoo issue. While she posted Aaron’s apology to Instagram, she also posted a photo from the lake outing, with a caption ending, “PS I’m not a Nazi, that’s just dumb, I’m KGB.” Related Story 'Moon Knight': Oscar Isaac Confirms Casting In Marvel & Disney+ Series While it is hard to know what effect, if any, the controversy will have on the media profile of the UFC, the tattoo scandal emerged not long after ESPN locked up rights to the UFC across streaming and linear for five years in a rich deal. (Disney, currently enduring a stretch that includes the box-office misfire of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the cancellation of Roseanne, certainly doesn’t need another distraction.) Fox still has TV rights to UFC bouts through the end of 2018, when it ends its seven-year run with UFC. The UFC declined to comment, pointing Deadline to Aaron’s statement. Fox Sports did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Here are some of the key posts in the sequence: Still had a great day at the lake with my fam and certainly enjoyed the jet skis. ✌🏻😛😝 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/s5FuwYc2Y5 — Andrea Lee (@AndreaKGBLee) June 2, 2018