By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-28 05:16:31 | Updated at 2024-11-28 07:40:26
2 hours ago
JD Wetherspoon has become the latest big name brand to distance itself from Conor McGregor after the chain pulled the MMA star's booze from its Irish pubs.
The pub chain has confirmed it has taken the shamed fighter's Forged Irish Stout off its taps at all of its seven boozers in the Republic of Ireland.
Wetherspoon released a short statement confirming the move, but it did not provide a reason.
A spokesman said: 'Wetherspoon has taken the decision to remove the product, Forged Stout, in its pubs in ROI.'
It comes after a civil jury last week found McGregor, 36, liable for raping Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
Ms Hand, 35, was awarded almost €250,000 in damages.
McGregor has vowed to appeal the verdict, while his fiancée Dee Devlin on Tuesday night leapt to his defence as she launched a furious online rant against his accuser.
Shamed MMA fighter Conor McGregor is pictured pouring his own Forged Irish Stout
Pictured here is the Keavan's Port JD Wetherspoon located in Dublin, Ireland
Posting on her Instagram, she delivered a blistering attack on Ms Hand, telling her: 'My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world.'
Earlier this week MailOnline exclusively revealed that a host of major UK retailers are set to pull McGregor affiliated drinks from sale.
Tesco, who boast over 3,400 stores across the UK, Asda, with over 1,200 UK stores and major food delivery service Ocado have all confirmed that they will no longer stock or sell Proper 12 whiskey or Forged Irish Stout.
The Irish fighter was the face of both brands, appearing in advertisements and promotional material across a host of platforms, with the Proper 12 whiskey brand named after McGregor's home postal district in Dublin.
In a statement to the MailOnline, a Tesco spokesperson stated: 'We can confirm that we are removing Proper No 12 Whiskey from sale in Tesco stores and online'.
An Asda spokesperson told the MailOnline: 'I can confirm that we have removed Forged Irish Stout from sale in store and online and have made the supplier aware of this decision'.
Similarly, an Ocado spokesperson could not provide comment but did confirm that the alcoholic beverages which were affiliated with McGregor would no longer be sold by the food delivery service and have been removed from stock as of today.
The news of major UK retailers distancing themselves from the MMA star comes off the back of Irish distributors confirming that they would also be removing both Proper 12 whiskey and Forged Irish Stout from sale.
Ireland's largest food retail company Musgraves confirmed on Tuesday morning to The Currency that they would be 'delisting' drinks associated with McGregor.
Conor McGregor lost his civil sexual assault case against Nikita hand in Irish court last week
Now, a number of major UK retailers have revealed to the MailOnline that they are removing drink brands affiliated with McGregor from sale
Both Proper 12 Whiskey and Forged Irish Stout will no longer be sold by Tesco and Ocado
McGregor has been accused of sex attacks on four other occasions, all of which were dismissed by police, most recently in Miami last year at the NBA Finals.
In every case he has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and on at least one occasion sources close to him said allegations of sexual assault were mendacious and money-related.
However, on this occasion, a jury found that McGregor assaulted Ms Hand in Dublin hotel, The Beacon, in December 2018.
The jury at the High Court in Dublin had been deliberating for a day before returning its verdict that McGregor did assault Ms Hand.
Following eight days of evidence and a further three of listening to closing speeches and the judge's comments, the jury of eight women and four men spent just over six hours deliberating before returning with its verdict.
As the verdict was read out, McGregor shook his head, whilst Ms Hand cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters.
In emotional scenes outside the court following the verdict, Ms Hand told reporters said she was 'overwhelmed and touched' by the support she had received.
She added: 'I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other young girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be served'.
Hand is comforted after the decision following two weeks of hearings in Dublin
After deliberating for six hours and 10 minutes, the jury returned with their verdicts on Friday
McGregor and his partner, Dee Devlin, outside the High Court in Dublin after Friday's verdict
The Proper 12 Irish Whiskey brand was first launched back in 2018 by McGregor, with the fighter and his team eventually selling the brand for a reported sale price of roughly £500 million.
McGregor himself pocketed an estimated £120 million in the deal when selling his majority stake, but has remained a prominent promoter of the whiskey since its 2021 acquisition by Proximo Spirits.
The former two-division UFC champion also currently owns a business empire in his native Ireland which boasts the popular Dublin pub The Blackforge Inn as its public-facing crown.
McGregor has spent an estimated £2.5 million purchasing and renovating the venue on Dublin's Longmile Road which has become the social media backdrop for the fighter's online promoting of both Proper 12 whiskey and Forged Irish Stout.
Meanwhile, three companies behind Mr McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout have reported combined losses of more than €9million last year.
The losses predate the supermarket backlash against stocking the disgraced MMA fighter’s brands, after he lost a civil damages case to Ms Hand.
New accounts published this week show McGregor Forged Stout Distribution Ltd, which distributes his brand of beers, racked up losses of €5.2million in the year to December 2023, according to filings with the Irish Companies Registration Office.
Separate financial accounts for Forged Stout Production Ltd show the company suffered a €3.05m loss last year.
Parent company Forged Stout Ltd had losses of almost €828,500 last year, the CRO records show, bringing his combined losses to €9,079,027.
A number of other leading UK retailers have been contacted by the MailOnline but are yet to comment as to whether or not they will continue to stock both of McGregor's affiliated drinks.
