Current:Home > InvestWWE apologizes for using image of Auschwitz concentration camp in a promo video-InfoLens
WWE apologizes for using image of Auschwitz concentration camp in a promo video
View Date:2024-12-23 16:21:03
The wrestling entertainment giant WWE has apologized for its use of an image of the Auschwitz concentration camp to promote a match.
The image appeared in a five-minute video introducing a WrestleMania 39 contest between stars Dominik and Rey Mysterio. The shot, which appeared in the pre-show last weekend ahead of the live broadcast this past Saturday, was used as b-roll accompanying Dominik's comments about being a hardened criminal.
WWE drew backlash after fans recognized the image as a photo of the concentration camp located in Oświęcim, Poland.
"We had no knowledge of what was depicted. As soon as we learned, it was removed immediately. We apologize for this error," the WWE said in a statement to NPR on Sunday.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was built by Germans in occupied Poland in 1940 and quickly became one of World War II's largest extermination centers. More than 1.1 million men, women and children were murdered at Auschwitz before the camp was liberated in 1945.
Two days before the apology was issued, the Auschwitz Memorial called the WWE "shameless" in a statement on Twitter.
"The fact that [an] Auschwitz image was used to promote a WWE match is hard to call 'an editing mistake,' " the museum wrote. "Exploiting the site that became a symbol of enormous human tragedy is shameless and insults the memory of all victims of Auschwitz."
The shot of the Polish museum appeared to have been removed from an otherwise identical version during the official broadcast, according to WWE blogs and fans. It does not appear in replays of WrestleMania Night 1, replaced by generic footage of barbed wire and an empty, unidentifiable jail cell.
The WWE storyline goes that Dominik turned against his father, the WWE Hall-of-Famer Rey, after being influenced by Judgement Day, a villainous stable of wrestlers.
After a failed attempt to entice his father to a fight, Dominik landed in jail, which only added to the tough-guy persona he uses to mask his true spoiled-brat essence. (Dominik arrived at the mat on Saturday in a cop van. His father was chauffeured by Snoop Dogg in a lowrider.)
The storyline was one of several hits for WrestleMania fans. The show delivered its exclusive streamer, NBC's Peacock, most hours watched of any live event except the Super Bowl.
The in-person event also made history, setting an attendance record at SoFi Stadium. WWE sold over 161,000 tickets for two nights of matches.
Fans took to social media during the broadcast to confirm their suspicions about the Auschwitz stock footage.
"100% Auschwitz. Went there last year. Can never forget it," one Reddit user wrote. "Hoo boy, to be a fly on the wall in the next production meeting," came another reply.
veryGood! (1114)
Related
- Five best fits for Alex Bregman: Will Astros homegrown star leave as free agent?
- Another endangered Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle — the 62nd such fatality since 2021
- 'Robotic' Bears quarterback Justin Fields says he hasn't been playing like himself
- Pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood to be prosecution witness in Georgia election case
- Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
- Man who shot Black teen who mistakenly went to his door enters not guilty plea; trial is scheduled
- The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady but hints at more action this year
- Elon Musk says artificial intelligence needs a referee after tech titans meet with lawmakers
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- Selena Gomez Shares Rare Look at Her Natural Curls in Makeup-Free Selfie
Ranking
- Why have wildfires been erupting across the East Coast this fall?
- Maryland apologizes to man wrongly convicted of murder, agrees to $340K payment for years in prison
- Kane Brown is headlining Summerfest 2024's opening night in Milwaukee
- Adidas CEO doubts that Kanye West really meant the antisemitic remarks that led Adidas to drop him
- The View's Sara Haines Walks Off After Whoopi Goldberg's NSFW Confession
- Sophie Turner, Taylor Swift step out for girls night amid actress' divorce from Joe Jonas
- Kevin Costner and wife Christine Baumgartner reach divorce settlement and avoid trial
- Jason Kelce Says Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Romance Rumors Are 100 Percent True
Recommendation
-
See Leonardo DiCaprio's Transformation From '90s Heartthrob to Esteemed Oscar Winner
-
The suspect in the ambush killing of a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy is set to appear in court
-
FDA declines to approve Neffy epinephrine nasal spray for severe allergic reactions
-
Ozzy Osbourne Shares His Why He's Choosing to Stop Surgeries Amid Health Battle
-
Mike Tyson has lived a wild life. These 10 big moments have defined his career
-
84-year-old man back in court after being accused of shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl
-
Judge dismisses two suits filed by man whose work as informant inspired the movie ‘White Boy Rick’
-
Kevin Costner and wife Christine Baumgartner reach divorce settlement and avoid trial