Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground all cut sponsorship ties with the Real Madrid forward after he called Mao Zedong a "dictator" in a resurfaced clip.
Kylian Mbappé has apologized for comments that resurfaced online in which he referred to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a "dictator." The remark came from an appearance on the French show "The Bridge," where Mbappé was asked to name his favorite meme of himself and pointed to a clip superimposing his face onto Mao's. "A video someone made of a guy … I think he was a Chinese dictator," he said.
The fallout was swift. Chinese beverage company Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu, and cheese company Milkground all terminated their sponsorship agreements with the Real Madrid star on Tuesday. Dongpeng said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward behavior that "offends national sentiments," while Mengniu said it "firmly opposes any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people."
Mbappé's face has been a familiar sight in Chinese advertising, making the sudden exodus of sponsors notable for a player whose commercial reach extends well beyond the pitch. He has apologized for the comment, though it remains to be seen whether that will repair any of the severed partnerships.