Special Olympics hit back at Kid Rock’s use of slur: “Please acknowledge the hurt caused”

The Special Olympics have hit back at Kid Rock using a slur during a recent interview, and pushed for him to “acknowledge the hurt caused”.

The musician drew criticism following one of his appearances on Fox News last week (Friday October 24), when he took part in an interview on Jesse Watters Primetime, and used the R-word when telling the host about his plans to get in costume for Halloween.

Now, the Special Olympics have reached out and requested that he address the comments and publicly acknowledge the “hurt caused”.

In an open letter shared on the website, Loretta Claiborne, the organisation’s chief inspiration officer, wrote: “The R-Word deeply demeans and harms people with intellectual disabilities. 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 continued: “Words like ‘r*****ed’ and ‘r*****’ have a long, painful history of being used to belittle and dehumanise. When anyone, especially someone in the public eye uses them, it reopens wounds that so many of us have worked so hard to heal.

“You have the chance to turn this incident into a statement of strength, to acknowledge the harm, to stand with people with intellectual disabilities, and to help lead the conversation toward greater understanding and respect.”

If you’re looking for a politically correct Halloween costume idea … you ain’t gonna find one with Kid Rock.

FOX News pic.twitter.com/nkt6zFA2Ze

— TMZ (@TMZ) October 25, 2025

Concluding, the organisation’s chief inspiration officer penned: “I would be honored to speak with you and 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.”

As highlighted by Billboard, Claiborne is a speaker and multi-sport athlete, was presented with the 1996 Arthur Ashe ASPY Courage Award by Denzel Washington.

Winning gold medals at the Olympics seven times, Claiborne was also the first Olympics athlete elected to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.

Kid Rock has yet to publicly respond to the letter.

Last March Kid Rock came under fire again when he was accused of drunkenly waving a gun in a reporter’s face and repeatedly saying the N-word during an interview.

The allegations were put forward by journalist David Pesiner, who described the encounter in detail as part of a piece for Rolling Stone.

The writer shared that he made multiple attempts to leave the residence but was blocked by Kid Rock. He then added that one occasion saw the rapper asking him if he wanted a physical fight.

“Do you think you could whup the shit out of me?” he allegedly asked Pesiner, who responded, “Probably not.” Rock then allegedly said, “You can take a shot if you want.”

In 2021, Kid Rock was filmed hurling a homophobic slur during an impromptu performance at a bar in Tennessee, delivering a tirade against fans using their smartphones to record him. He would later take to Twitter to defend his comments, writing in third person (via Billboard): “If Kid Rock using the word f***** offends you, good chance you are one. Either way, I know he has a lot of love for his gay friends and I will have a talk with him.”

The post Special Olympics hit back at Kid Rock’s use of slur: “Please acknowledge the hurt caused” appeared first on NME.