In addition to his tweets, reports surfaced of a video meeting Crossfit CEO Greg Glassman, shown in 2015, held with some gym affiliates on Saturday.
Photo: Eduardo Contreras/San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma PressGreg Glassman, the founder and chief executive of CrossFit Inc., said he had decided to retire after his inflammatory remarks about the killing of George Floyd prompted sponsors and gym owners to cut ties with his company.
“On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members,” Mr. Glassman said in a statement. “I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ’s or affiliates’ missions.”
The closely held company was facing backlash after Mr. Glassman responded to a tweet from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. It tweeted, “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response.”
Mr. Glassman, in a tweet, responded: “It’s FLOYD-19.”
The CrossFit boss later apologized. “My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake,” he wrote in another tweet on CrossFit’s official account.
The backlash was swift. Adidas AG ’s Reebok, a CrossFit sponsor for 10 years, said it would end its partnership after this year. Hundreds of gym owners across the country said they would end their affiliate contracts, posting their decisions publicly on social media.
The controversy deepened Tuesday after reports surfaced of a video meeting Mr. Glassman held with some gym affiliates on Saturday hours before his tweet. In the meeting, Mr. Glassman told gym owners, “We’re not mourning for George Floyd—I don’t think me or any of my staff are,” according to audio recordings of the meeting posted by BuzzFeed News.
Mr. Glassman didn’t respond to requests for comment. He started the business in 2000 and built it into a global empire with thousands of gyms that pay annual licensing fees to use its name and trademarked exercise regime. He bought 100% ownership of the business from his ex-wife in 2012.
The company said Dave Castro, one of Mr. Glassman’s longtime lieutenants, would take over as CEO. “CrossFit is a community—one that is global, diverse, and tough,” Mr. Castro said in a statement. “Our community is hurt, though. Our shared bond brings together millions of people with differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences. Friction is inevitable. Common ground, mutual respect, and fellowship must also be inevitable.”
Write to Khadeeja Safdar at khadeeja.safdar@wsj.com
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