Famous Athletes That Lost Endorsement Deals Due To Scandals

March 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Oscar Pistorius captured the world's attention during the 2012 Olympics. Nicknamed The Blade Runner, his inspirational story captivated the imaginations of fans and onlookers alike. The South African sprinter, who had both legs amputated as a child, ran with prosthetic legs at the Olympics. With such an inspiring story, his career took off and he soon landed himself endorsement deals. 

In 2012 the athlete was bringing in $1 million a year in endorsement deals, inking deals with some pretty big names like Nike and Oakley. The runner even became the face of a campaign for a Thierry Mugler fragrance. Pistorius was on the fast track to becoming a huge star in sports. In 2013, however, everything changed for the sprinter. On Valentine's Day, news broke that Pistorius' girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead. 

Originally, Pistorius' story was that he fired shots at what he thought was an intruder. However, a thorough police investigation found that the three shots he fired at Steenkamp were indeed intentional. As the court case unfolded, Oakley announced they were terminating his contract and Nike pulled ads featuring him, per ABC. One Nike ad, featuring the runner with the phrase "I am the bullet in the chamber," was pulled from his website. In 2016, Pistorius was initially sentenced to six years, however, the following year, the court more than doubled his sentence: An additional 13 years were added to his punishment, per NPR.

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