On Saturday, singer/songwriter Frank Stallone―the younger brother of actor and director Sylvester Stallone―sent out a tweet bashing Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor David Hogg, calling the high-profile gun control advocate a “pussy.” Now, he’s issued an apology for the tweet, saying that he’s “deeply ashamed” of his behavior.
“To everyone and to David Hogg especially. I want to deeply apologize for my irresponsible words,” he said in a tweet on Sunday morning. The tweet was signed “Frank.”
To everyone and to David Hogg especially. I want to deeply apologize for my irresponsible words. I would never in a million years wish or promote violence to anyone anywhere on this planet. After what these kids went though I’m deeply ashamed. Please accept my apology. Frank
— Frank Stallone (@Stallone) April 1, 2018
The Sunday morning tweet was a sharp departure from his words on Saturday. Although the original tweet has since been deleted, Stallone suggested that somebody in Hogg’s “age group” probably wanted to physically assault him.
“This David Hogg pussy is getting a little too big for his britches. I’m sure someone from his age group is dying to sucker punch this rich little bitch. Watch him run home like the coward he is. He’s the worst rep for today’s youth headline grabbing punk,” the 67-year-old “The Evil Purpose” singer tweeted.
Just FYI here is the tweet that @Stallone deleted. #FarFromOver pic.twitter.com/9f9Hu2KsFa
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) March 31, 2018
Notably, although it’s received less attention, Stallone also attacked Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez on Saturday, in a reply to a tweet by right-wing former game show host Chuck Woolery.
Grow your hair and get a life,you are milking this thing to death. A terrible tragedy that could have been adverted if they would have locked this freak up, they knew he was bad. Don’t blame every gun owner. Go after the bad guys
— Frank Stallone (@Stallone) March 28, 2018
Stallone is far from the only person who’s been launching verbal attacks on Hogg and his fellow activist Parkland survivors. Earlier this week, a tweet from Fox News host Laura Ingraham mocking Hogg over a rejected college application set off an avalanche of advertisers abandoning her show. Ingraham subsequently apologized for her comment and has announced she’s taking a week-long vacation.
On Friday night, Ted Nugent called the Parkland survivors turned activists “mushy-brained children” who “have no soul.”
It seems clear that Stallone sides with Ingraham and Nugent in the controversy, and people were quick to burn him back.
https://twitter.com/bmkrol/status/980141646615478272
Ted Nugent, Frank Stallone.
— Erik B (@erikbransteen) March 31, 2018
Because mocking teen shooting victims is easier than writing one shitty, quasi-hit song every 40 years.
https://twitter.com/Pierre_Dilinger/status/980121519077474306
On Saturday, the same day that he tweeted his incendiary statement about Hogg, Stallone retweeted a comment from conservative commentator Matt Walsh, arguing that the advertiser boycott against Ingraham showed “you should be very careful about apologizing to the left.” Just one day later, however, Stallone has decided to offer up an apology of his own.
H/T Mediaite
