We wouldn’t blame you for reading the headline and thinking this was another April Fool’s Joke.
Boxer Manny Pacquiao was banned from the Grove Shopping Mall in Los Angeles following homophobic comments he made suggested that gays should be put to death. However, Pacquiao recently said that he is planning to ignore that ban.
The Grove’s owner Rick Caruso banned him from the property because not only were Pacquiao’s comments disgusting, many LGBT people shop there and he didn’t want those customers to feel uncomfortable by shopping with someone who thinks they are “worse than animals.” The mall is just ten minutes away from where Pacquiao trains in Los Angeles so it is convenient for him. However it’s not like there aren’t many malls across the city where his homophobia would be quietly disregarded.
Pacquiao told TMZ he’s going to ignore the ban because the Grove is a “public place available for everybody,” which is actually not true. The Grove is private property owned by an individual, so Caruso could technically have him booted from the property and Pacquiao would have no case against him.
Although Pacquiao’s comments were vile, does Caruso really want to have some stationed at the mall at all times to make sure Pacquiao isn’t shopping at the Tommy Bahama or the Nike store?
