CrossFit founder Greg Glassman to sell company after backlash over "divisive statements"
Greg Glassman, the embattled founder and owner of CrossFit, is selling the fitness brand, the company announced over social media. The move comes after he resigned as CEO last month amid blowback over controversial comments he tweeted days after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The CrossFit controversy erupted earlier this month when the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a research center, tweeted, "Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response," along with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
Glassman responded: "It's Floyd-19." In another tweet, he added, "Your failed model quarantined us and now you're going to model a solution to racism?" The comments cause a backlash on social media, including among some CrossFit gym owners, leading Glassman to apologize. But the brouhaha caused Reebok to end its partnership with the brand.
Glassman was initially replaced by Dave Castro, then the director of the CrossFit Games, but remained the brand's sole owner. Glassman will now sell CrossFit to Eric Roza, the owner of a CrossFit gym in Boulder, Colorado, who will also take over as CEO.
— Eric Roza (@RozaEric) June 24, 2020
"Since I discovered CrossFit 10 years ago, it has changed my life, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead CrossFit through its next chapter as CEO and owner, following the closing next month," Roza said in a statement.
Roza also acknowledged the "divisive statements and allegations" that alienated some CrossFit members. "My view is simple: Racism and sexism are abhorrent and will not be tolerated in CrossFit," he said.
Glassman put out his own statement on CrossFit's Twitter account, saying that it "is time for the founder to bid adieu and find other creative outlets."