Dwayne Johnson, Under Armour delay sneaker launch in wake of Wisconsin shooting
The Rock: No. 2 actor on Forbes list
Under Armour Incand actor Dwayne 'The Rock'Johnson on Thursday postponed the launch of a new sneaker collaboration following the shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin.
The sportswear maker`s move comes after several professional athletes refused to play games on Wednesday to protest racial injustice, hitting the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.
Two-time tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka pulled out of a tournament after reaching the semi-finals."We support all of those in sport who are currently demanding societal change across the United States and the globe," Under Armour said in a statement.
Protests were widespread after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. It was the latest in a string of controversial shootings of Black men over the past few years.
"Out of respect for Jacob Blake & his family we`ll postpone our @projectrock @underarmour PR3 launch today," Johnson tweeted. "Unbelievable we`re here again. Shot 7xs. In the back. In front of his kids. There`s no progress without humanity."
The shooting sparked several nights of civil unrest that included a wave of arson, widespread vandalism and separate shootings that claimed two lives.
Johnson, who is one of the of the world`s highest-paid actors, partnered with Under Armour in 2016 to design a sportswear line called Project Rock. They were set to launch a new line of sneakers on Thursday.
