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Ryan Kennedy wants to set the record straight.
During a press conference Friday alongside his lawyers, the Lions fan, who was swiped at by Steelers receiver DK Metcalf last Sunday, denied the racial slur allegations against him.
“Being falsely branded as a racist is one of the most damaging accusations that a private citizen can endure,” his lawyer, Shawn Head, read as Kennedy sat next to him wearing a backwards Lions hat. “It’s dangerous and causes very real consequences and very real damage.”
“I didn’t use any racial slurs, no hate speech, none of that stuff at the game,” Kennedy added.
Head did not rule out the possibility of legal action.
“The goal here is accountability and to correct the record,” Head said. “The false accusations or racial statements or racial slurs being used causes real damage and that needs to be corrected. … (Metcalf) can come out and tell the truth and indicate that he never heard any racial slur uttered by Mr. Kennedy.”
“Right now we’re evaluating all of our options, of course, and we’re going to make sure we use any legal remedies available to protect Ryan Kennedy and his family. We’re not going to litigate this in the media. We’re here, today, to set the record straight.”
The lawyer asked Metcalf to outright say that Kennedy didn’t yell a racial slur at the Steelers star and had reached out to his camp to do so, but had not heard back.
The allegation picked up steam when Chad “OchoCinco” Johnson said he “got word” of that purportedly happening.
In a video from a fan sitting close to the altercation, it’s unclear what Kennedy said to Metcalf that sparked the incident.
“Obviously I am not condoning putting your hands on a fan or punching the fan but he did call him a racial slur, called him the n-word and he did call his mom a c—t,” Johnson said on his “Nightcap” podcast.
Kennedy denied that the used racist remarks.
“My family is getting threats and stuff, and it’s not cool,” he said.
Earlier this week to the Detroit Free Press, Kennedy claimed he called Metcalf by his government name, DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf, and that’s what bothered the receiver.
The NFL suspended Metcalf for two games Monday for violating league policy, which will sideline Metcalf for the remainder of the regular season.
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