After his controversial and sexist remarks during a press conference, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was dropped from his endorsement deal with Dannon.
It was a day after saying, “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes,” after being questioned by Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue that Newton’s deal with the food corporation for which he most notably endorses their Oikos Greek Yogurt brand, came to an end.
“We are shocked and disheartened at the behavior and comments of Cam Newton towards Jourdan Rodrigue, which we perceive as sexist and disparaging to all women,” Dannon said in a statement following Cam’s comments. “We have shared our concerns with Cam and will no longer work with him.”
While the Atlanta-reared football star since released an apology for his remarks, that didn’t stop Dannon from moving on quickly as they now direct their energy towards Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, adding onto the Dallas player’s long list of endorsements, the most extensive one in the league, in fact. Reports say that Prescott is already shooting his first commercial this week with the company as they sever ties with Newton.
Aside from Dannon, Prescott has racked up endorsement deals with other brands that include Adidas, Beats, Frito-Lay, Pepsi, and AT&T to name just a few. With all of his endorsements, it is alleged that he’ll rake up $3 million a year, an amount that equates to being five times more than what the Cowboys pay him, which is $540,000 a year.
As for Cam, to avoid a breach of contract, Dannon will still be paying him out, however the repercussions arrive with the removal of all advertisements in which he is featured, according to Dannon’s Senior Director of External Communication Michael Neuwirth.
“After careful thought, I understand that my word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful to women,” Newton said in a video clip. “To be honest, that was not my intention and if you are a person who took offense to what I said, I sincerely apologize to you. I’m a man who tries to be a positive role model to my community and tries to use my platform to inspire others. …To the young people who see this, I hope you learn something from this as well. Don’t be like me. Be better than me.”