NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne has kome under fire following a Tweet in which he expressed disgust at seeing a woman breastfeeding in a supermarket.
He has since apologized on his Facebook page.
Kahne wrote: “Just walking through supermarket. See a mom breastfeeding little kid. Took second look because I was obviously seeing things. I wasn’t!”
A minute later, he wrote: “One boob put away one boob hanging!!! #nasty” followed by “I don’t really feel like shopping any more or eating.”
Kasey Kahne, who finished the year fourth in the NASCAR standings, deleted the post quickly but not before it was reported and outrage ensued.
Thousands of people on his site left comments, many supporting the popular race car driver, but plenty more taking offense at what he wrote.
“You’re horribly sexist, Kasey Kahne, and your misogyny is really unattractive considering the number of female NASCAR fans,” one blogger wrote.
The 31-year-old responded on Facebook:
“I apologize. It was in no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breast feeding children."
“In all honestly, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store. I shared that reaction on Twitter. It obviously wasn’t the correct approach. After reading your feedback, I now have a better understanding of why my posts upset some of you.”
Kahne also apologized in a Twitter post to one of the woman whom he’d called “a dumb bitch” after she objected to his breastfeeding comments.