Michael Strahan addressed his controversial televised moment, which sparked much backlash ahead of Veterans Day.
As Monsters and Critics reported, Strahan’s controversial moment occurred during the National Anthem on a Fox NFL Sunday special Veterans Day tribute show at Naval Base San Diego.
While his Fox co-stars stood with their hands over their hearts, Strahan stood with his hands below his waist and one hand gripping his other arm.
Following the televised occurrence, many viewers took to social media to express outrage over Strahan’s “disrespectful” act. Some viewers called for his employers at Fox NFL Sunday and ABC’s Good Morning America to fire him unless he apologized.
As of this writing, neither network has taken action against the Pro Football Hall of Famer for what happened.
Over a day after the controversy, Strahan released a video discussing what happened, indicating that the media “ambushed” him over it and that he wasn’t protesting or making a statement during the anthem.
Strahan spoke about his National Anthem controversy and the media ambushing him
Strahan released a video on Tuesday addressing his controversial moment and its backlash.
“I want to address what happened this past weekend, and I feel like I need to address it because it spilled over to the point where I get out of my car today and I’m ambushed by a media outlet here at my house,” he said at the start of his video.
Strahan said he wasn’t “proud” of how he “handled that situation” with the media but explained that others would understand his instincts were to protect his family and home.
He said it occurred after he and his Fox colleagues spent two days this past weekend in San Diego with Navy seals and other sailors. He mentioned they did a two-hour show “praising the military and all that they’ve done for us” to celebrate Veterans Day.
“I didn’t have my hand over my chest. Everyone thought, ‘He’s protesting. He’s making a statement.’ Which is so far from the truth,” Strahan explained.
“I have nothing to protest. I have no statement to be made,” he said, adding, “The only statement that should be made and I wanna make is: I love the military. I’ve always loved the military, and I will always love the military.”
He mentioned that he participates in many programs to help veterans and soldiers and “grew up on a military base with a father who was a major in the Army.”
“My brother, my sisters, my cousins. They all served in the military,” he said, calling himself a “military brat.”
Strahan explained what happened and apologized
In his Instagram video statement, Strahan indicated he did not have his hand over his heart because he got “caught up in the moment” as the National Anthem played.
He said he was observing all the military around them and thinking of “how incredible” it was to see all these young individuals committed to doing this for the country.
“I don’t take it granted anywhere we go around the world from Afghanistan to all the military institutions here in this country,” Strahan said.
He indicated that as he looked up and realized all his co-stars had their hands over their hearts, he “panicked” a bit and wondered if he should be “the fool who puts his hand up after” the anthem had already begun playing.
Strahan said he decided to continue standing there as he was “respectfully.”
“If that offended any of our military and veterans, I apologize to you because that was never my intent,” he said.
“I’m a product of the military, a proud lover of the military, and a proud lover of all those who serve before, now, and who will serve in the future,” he said before ending his video.
Strahan confronted a videographer near his home after a TV controversy
The media “ambush” that Strahan referred to involved a videographer from the UK publication, Daily Mail, who showed up at Strahan’s home to ask him about the TV controversy.
The outlet shared a video clip from the incident on Instagram, showing Strahan repeatedly telling the individual, “Don’t come to my house,” with his finger raised toward the phone.
Strahan then grabs the phone from the videographer and tosses it into a nearby bush before telling the individual not to come to his house again.
When Daily Mail shared the initial video, Strahan had yet to address the controversial moment in any capacity to the media, on TV, or on social media.
While he shut off commenting on his recent Instagram selfie video, he’s now addressed the incident and apologized to any military personnel offended by it.
Strahan appears regularly throughout the week on ABC’s Good Morning America and typically appears on Fox NFL Sunday most Sundays during the NFL season and playoffs.
He appeared on ABC’s GMA on Tuesday and Wednesday after taking a day off on Veterans Day following his Fox NFL Sunday controversy. The next installment of Fox NFL Sunday arrives on Sunday, November 17.