New York
Conor McGregor will no longer be the face of the popular Irish whiskey brand that he helped create. Proper No. Twelve dropped McGregor after he was found liable in a sexual assault case.
Proximo Spirits, the distributor and owner of Proper No. Twelve, said in a statement to that it does “not plan to use Mr. McGregor’s name and likeness in the marketing of the brand” going forward.
McGregor helped create Proper in 2018 and sold a majority of the brand in 2021 to Proximo, which owns other spirits like tequila Jose Cuervo and whiskey Bushmills. A Proximo spokesperson said that it owns the Proper brand in its entirety.
McGregor’s face was often featured in marketing materials for the liquor, helping it become the third-best-selling Irish whiskey in the United States.
Proper’s website is currently offline and McGregor’s face has been scrubbed from the brand’s Instagram account. He was often featured in TV ads for Proper and most recently starred in a spot promoting the launch of its new apple flavor.
McGregor was accused of raping Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel room in 2018. Last Friday, a civil court jury awarded Hand nearly 250,000 euros (roughly $263,600), after finding McGregor liable for assault, according to the Courts Service in Ireland.
He addressed the incident and the verdict Monday, writing on X: “I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision.”
Several retailers in the UK and Ireland have removed Proper from its shelves, including Tesco and SuperValu owner Musgrave, according to the Guardian. Also, video game developer IO Interactive said will end its partnership with McGregor. His voice and likeness has been featured in its popular “Hitman” series.
