(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman posted a public letter Wednesday to Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard days after video emerged showing Leonard using an anti-Semitic slur.
Edelman, who is Jewish, said he was writing Leonard "to offer some perspective."
He wrote:
I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That's what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence. Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread.
The receiver went on to invite Leonard to a Shabbat dinner to show him "a fun time" and presumably talk to him about the significance of the K-word he used.
Leonard apologized for his use of the word in a statement Tuesday.
Leonard said:
I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday. While I didn't know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong. ... I acknowledge and own my mistake and there's no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else.
This isn't the first time Edelman's reached out to an athlete accused of anti-Semitism.
According to NBC Sports, in July 2020, after then-Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson posted anti-Semitic quotes falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler on Instagram, Edelman responded with his own Instagram post and invited Jackson to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. with him.
Edelman said after extending the invite, "Afterwards, we’ll grab some burgers and we have those uncomfortable conversations. This world needs a little more love, compassion and empathy. Take care."
Jackson later apologized for his actions.