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Shaun White apologizes for comment during gold medal press conference

Posted at 9:25 AM, Feb 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-14 09:25:16-05

(AP) – Shaun White has apologized after referring to a sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against him in 2016 as “gossip” during a news conference following his historic gold medal in the men’s halfpipe.

White issued the apology on NBC’s” Today” show on Wednesday. He says he used “a poor choice of words to describe such a sensitive subject” and he’s “truly sorry.”

White won an unprecedented third halfpipe gold medal Wednesday. While he did, many on social media resurfaced the details from the lawsuit filed by a former drummer in White’s rock band who said White sexually harassed her and refused to pay her wages after he fired her. The lawsuit was settled in May.

White was asked in the news conference if the allegations might tarnish his reputation and said, “I’m here to talk about the Olympics, not gossip and stuff.”