Kid Rock Receives Backlash For Using R-Word

Kid Rock is under fire after using an ableist slur during a recent television appearance, drawing sharp criticism from Special Olympics leadership. Loretta Claiborne, vice chair of Special Olympics and a longtime advocate for people with intellectual disabilities, issued an open letter to the artist on behalf of the organization. Published on the Special Olympics website, her response urged Kid Rock to reconsider the language he used and recognize the lasting harm it causes. “I’m writing to you personally with an urgent request: please acknowledge the hurt caused and use this moment to stand with us in rejecting that word and the prejudice it represents,” Claiborne wrote. “People with intellectual disabilities, one of the largest groups of people with disabilities in the world, have suffered generations of discrimination and humiliation. In the 21st century, we’re still continuing to fight for the simplest form of justice: the recognition of our full humanity.” Claiborne, who has competed in multiple sports for Special Olympics and has become a key voice in the global movement for inclusion, invited Kid Rock to have a direct conversation with her. She said she hopes to share “more about the movement for inclusion and respect that has changed so many lives, including my own. Together, we can use this moment to build a world where every person is valued and respected.” The letter arrives after Kid Rock appeared on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime. During the segment, according to Consequence of Sound, the singer joked that he would be an "r-word" for Halloween while holding up a medical-style mask.

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