During a live broadcast on ESPN, the hockey analyst makes an unnecessary joke about the Grammy winner's weight while discussing the Toronto Maple Leafs' lackluster loss to the Florida Panthers.
- May 4, 2023
AceShowbiz - Former hockey star P.K. Subban landed in hot water for making an offensive comment on Lizzo's weight. During a live broadcast on ESPN, the hockey analyst made an unnecessary joke while discussing the Toronto Maple Leafs' lackluster loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
During the network's post-game analysis, host John Buccigross made reference to the fact that Maple Leafs should "pack a lunch" after losing 4-2 to the Panthers on Tuesday, May 2, so they will have more energy ahead of Thursday's pivotal Game 2. Subban echoed the sentiment by saying, "Maybe they need to pack a Lizzo-sized lunch."
The backlash over his fatphobic comment was almost immediate. After the clip made its way around the Internet, fans came after the former NHL All-Star and demanded he apologize to the "About Damn Time" singer. "Gross comment by PK Subban," one fan tweeted. "Sis Pk Subban really just say 'Lizzo sized lunch?' That's… not acceptable. That's fatphobic," another fan wrote.
"PK Subban being fatphobic and the worst panelist I've ever seen in my life… pick a struggle," someone added. Meanwhile, a critic said, "It's getting harder & harder to enjoy PK Subban. And before the 'I thought you wanted hockey players to show more personality!' brigade comes through, nobody ever said we want them to be casually cruel or bigoted. We're not so starved for personalities that we'll embrace garbage."
Neither Subban nor ESPN has addressed the criticism.
In the meantime, Lizzo recently asked people to stop making comments about her body. "Do we realize that artists are not here to fit into your beauty standards? Artists are here to make art?" the Grammy-winning musician said on Instagram Stories earlier this year.
"I wish that comments costed [sic] y'all money so we can see how much time we're f**king wasting on the wrong thing," the "Truth Hurts" songstress added after sharing some of the nasty comments she has received about her weight. "Can we leave that s**t back there, please?"
