Irish Whiskey Brand Cuts Ties with McGregor

Conor McGregor, a famous MMA fighter, has parted ways with Proper No. Twelve, an Irish whiskey brand he helped create. This decision came after McGregor was found responsible in a civil case involving sexual assault. The brand's distributor, Proximo Spirits, stated that they won't use McGregor's name or face in their marketing anymore. McGregor played a significant role in making the brand popular, even after selling a majority stake to Proximo in 2021. The whiskey quickly became one of the top sellers in the U. S. The brand's website is temporarily down, and McGregor's face has been removed from their social media accounts. He was often seen in TV ads for the brand, including the recent promo for their new apple-flavored whiskey. The court case involves an alleged assault in a Dublin hotel room in 2018. A jury awarded nearly 250, 000 euros to the victim, Nikita Hand. McGregor plans to appeal the decision. Retailers in the UK and Ireland, like Tesco and SuperValu, have stopped selling the whiskey. Additionally, the video game company IO Interactive is ending its partnership with McGregor, whose likeness and voice were featured in the "Hitman" series. All these changes highlight the consequences of such legal decisions in the business world.