Kyle Rittenhouse Speaks Out About LeBron James' Twitter Jab
In August 2020, then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse brought a gun to a large protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Cameras caught Rittenhouse shooting and killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, while another altercation caused Rittenhouse to shoot and wound Gaige Grosskreutz, per CNN. Rittenhouse was eventually charged with reckless homicide for the death of Rosenbaum, intentional homicide for the death of Huber, and attempted intentional homicide for wounding Grosskreutz. In November, a jury found Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges after deliberating for 25 hours, according to NBC News.
Given the fact that the trial was an international talking point for weeks, many celebrities were more than happy to voice their opinions on the verdict of the Rittenhouse trial. "I knew Rittenhouse would be acquitted but it is gutting to witness the inevitable, to know there will be no consequences for the judge, and to know Rittenhouse and others like him will be more emboldened to be openly white supremacist vigilantes. It's hollowing," Roxane Gay tweeted shortly after the verdict was read. "It has now been put it out there that vigilantes can just go and kill people protesting issues like racial equality whenever they want and get away with it. Think about that for a second," actor Josh Gad tweeted.
Aside from the verdict, celebrities also had quite a bit to say about specific aspects of the trial — especially Rittenhouse's weepy testimony on the witness stand.
Rittenhouse is angry with LeBron James for his comments about the trial
One of the most memorable moments of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial came when Rittenhouse took the witness stand to speak about the incident from his own perspective. At one point in his testimony, Rittenhouse actually broke down in tears while telling the crowd that he was simply defending himself when he shot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber, and Gaige Grosskreutz, according to CBS News. Among the many comments made by celebrities about Rittenhouse's tearful testimony, Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James' comment was perhaps the most biting. "What tears????? I didn't see one. Man knock it off! That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court," James tweeted in November, shortly after Rittenhouse's testimony.
In an interview published on Tuesday, Rittenhouse finally revealed to Blaze News how he felt about James' comment, especially given the fact that he had once admired James as a basketball fan. "I was a Lakers fan, too, before he said that," Rittenhouse told Blaze News. "I was really pissed off when he said that because I liked LeBron. And then I'm like, you know, what, f*** you, LeBron." While rumors of Rittenhouse suing James for the hurtful comment had been circulating online, according to Blaze News, Rittenhouse is actually not suing the NBA player.