Overwatch League pro Robert ‘Skairipa’ Lupsa has issued an apology for following controversial influencer Andrew Tate on Twitter.
Leaked scrim vods have been popping up around the Overwatch community, with one clip turning some heads after it featured disturbing comments by former Vancouver Titans player Skairipa.
In the clip, Skairipa joked about “raping” his OWL opponents, leading London Spitfire, the team he was believed to be trialing for, to issue a statement saying the organization will take “immediate action.”
Shortly after the Spitfire issued the statement, Skairipa posted an apology, but he didn’t stop at just the scrim comments. He also asked for forgiveness because he followed Andrew Tate on social media.
OWL pro apologizes for not unfollowing Andrew Tate on Twitter
In his apology, Skairipa said the language he used was “completely inexcusable.”
“I wholeheartedly am remorseful for the words I chose as they devalue and make light of an evil act that has affected many people’s lives,” the support main continued.
— London Spitfire (@Spitfire) March 15, 2023
The Overwatch pro went on to apologize for following Andrew Tate and not unfollowing the influencer sooner.
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“I also want to apologize for not having unfollowed Andrew Tate on Twitter,” he added. “I 100% don’t support what he stands for and he does not represent what I believe in. I have corrected this immediately and unfollowed him.”
At the end of 2022, Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, were detained by Romanian authorities on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group. He has since been denied release from custody five times.
Of course, there could be many reasons why Skairipa was following Tate on Twitter without necessarily being a supporter of his, such as wanting to keep up with news relating to the controversial former kickboxer.
Regardless, Skairipa has promised to be a better person and not use that type of language again in the future.
Fans can check out the London Spitfire and Skairipa in action when the OWL 2023 Pro-Am kicks off on March 23.
Keep up to date with all the transfer activity in the Overwatch scene with our off-season roster tracker.