Lululemon issues apology, fires employee for 'bat fried rice' shirt post
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Lululemon has issued an apology after a now former employee advertised a “bat fried rice” shirt on Instagram.
Trevor Fleming, who previously worked as an art director for the Canadian athleisure brand, was terminated for sharing a link in his Instagram profile to a shirt created by artist, Jess Sluder. The long-sleeved shirt, advertised on Sluder’s website under the name “Bat Fried Rice,” featured an image of bat wings and chopsticks on the front, and a bat in a Chinese food container with the words “no thank you” on the back.
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The shirt, which is not a Lululemon product, sparked criticism for promoting anti-Asian sentiments and racism. The hashtag “Lululemon insults China” was reportedly viewed 204 million times on Weibo, a Chinese website, with many calling for a Lululemon boycott.
“Lululemon, usually I am one of your biggest customers,” a social media user wrote on Instagram. “Today, however, I am disappointed by your lack of transparency. Not only did your employee blatantly display xenophobia and racism, but he also exploited COVID19 just to make a few bucks.”
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Sluder, who designed the shirt wrote, “Where did COVID-19 come from? Nothing is certain, but we know a bat was involved. Beginning today, my limited edition #quarantees are now available. Link in bio or DM for details…Thank you for your support and sense of humour! #humornothat #batfriedrice.”
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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of racist abuse towards Asians have increased around the world.
Lululemon immediately distanced itself from Fleming’s post and issued a statement on its Weibo account, in which they reiterated that Sluder’s shirt was not affiliated with their brand.
“At Lululemon, our culture and values are core to who we are, and we take matters like this extremely seriously,” a spokesperson fo Lululemon wrote in an email to NBC News. “The image and the post were inappropriate and inexcusable and we do not tolerate this behaviour.”
Fleming has also acknowledged that sharing a link to Sluder’s shirt “was wrong” and has apologized for his actions.
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“It is something I deeply regret, and my eyes have been opened to the profound ripple effect that this mistake has had,” Fleming wrote in an email. "I apologize to those that have been hurt by this ... I commit to standing up against racist or discriminatory behaviour and will work hard to ensure that my personal and professional contributions in the future are kind, inclusive and supportive.”
In 2015, Lululemon faced similar anti-Asian criticism when founder Chip Wilson said it was “funny” when Japanese people tried to pronounce the brand’s name.
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