Viddal Riley has insisted that KSI isn’t a racist and accused the editors of doing him “dirty” after the YouTube megastar went viral over a racial slur in a Sidemen video.
The Sidemen, a YouTube collective featuring KSI and other internet stars, produced a Countdown-themed show based on Channel 4’s popular TV programme.
KSI, whose side had the nickname ‘The N****s,’ sparked outrage on social media after he used a racial slur when his team couldn’t figure out a word using the nine letters provided to them.
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The 29-year-old British star uttered a vile slur that is directed at people of Pakistani or South Asian descent or birth, which prompted a mixed reaction from his fellow Sidemen members.
The video has since been delisted from the Sidemen’s YouTube page, but clips of KSI’s damning slur have since made the rounds on social media.
In the ‘Sidemen Sunday’ show segment, KSI said: “We need points and I don’t mean this maliciously, but the word is P**i.”
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He added: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but we need points.”
Pro boxer Riley previously trained KSI and was part of the YouTuber-turned-rapper’s camp for his 2019 super-fight with WWE star Logan Paul.
The 25-year-old took to Twitter on Monday and admitted that KSI, real name Olajide Williams Olatunji, should not have said the deeply offensive slur.
However, Riley hit out at the Sidemen and claimed the editors “should be protecting the talent” and ‘JJ’ was done “dirty” by them.
“The editors on the recent sidemen [sic] video done JJ dirty,” he tweeted on Monday.
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“He shouldn’t have said it anyway but the editors should be protecting the talent. We all know JJ isn’t racist.”
KSI has since issued a public apology on Twitter and confirmed that he would be taking a “break from social media for a while.”
“I wanna apologise for saying a racial slur in a recent Sidemen video,” he tweeted.
“There’s no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry.
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“I’ve always said to my audience that they shouldn’t worship me or put me on a pedestal because I’m human.
“Im [sic] not perfect, I’m gonna mess up in life, and lately I’ve been messing up a lot.
“So I’ve decided I’m gonna just take a break from social media for a while.”
SPORTbible has contacted the Sidemen for comment and will update this story should we hear back.
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Topics: KSI
Adnan Riaz