French soccer captain Kylian Mbappe has apologized for his comments that led to Chinese brands cutting ties with him. The apology came after Mbappe's remarks about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked a backlash among Chinese fans and led to a loss of lucrative commercial relationships.
Mbappe, 27, posted on social media platform X, stating that his comment was "ill-judged" and that he now understands it hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide. He expressed his apology to those he had upset, stating that his intention was not to cause offense.
Mbappe's comment was deemed disrespectful in China, where satire or jokes about Mao are considered taboo. The incident serves as a reminder of the limits of celebrity influence, especially in a crucial market like China.
Several leading firms and organizations have previously incurred the wrath of Beijing, including fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana, Swiss watchmaker Swatch, and the National Basketball Association. Chinese media outlets condemned Mbappe's remarks, but did not repeat them.
Brands such as dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, as well as Eastroc Beverage, have ceased all cooperation with Mbappe, effective immediately. China's state television has halted broadcasts of all matches and events involving LaLiga and Mbappe, and all advertisements involving Mbappe have been removed.
Mbappe's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and his club Real Madrid declined to comment. LaLiga president Javier Tebas issued an apology on X, stating that the organization regretted the alleged comments that "have caused discomfort and offense in China."
Denmark's Lego, which has a Mbappe building set on sale in China, said it could not comment. The Mbappe set still featured on Lego's Chinese website on Tuesday. On Holding and Accor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As of 0700 GMT, four topics related to Mbappe were among the top 10 trending searches on China's social media platform Weibo. Some netizens called for China to "blacklist" Mbappe and reduce his commercial value to zero. Fans have been creating memes superimposing Mbappe's face on images of military and political leaders to suggest that he has the power to influence decisions at the teams he plays for.
A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry stated that words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people "will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society."
