Months after posting that he never claimed to have a Bronze Star with Valor on Instagram, former UFC middleweight Tim Kennedy has issued a statement taking “full and unequivocal responsibility” for what he’s calling a “serious mistake”.
In recent months, Kennedy had come under fire for overstating his military record, with a number of fellow veterans and Special Forces members calling out the UFC vet out online.
Now, Kennedy wants to set the record straight.
In a lengthy post on social media on Wednesday, he apologized for misstating aspects of his service over the years:
“I want to take full and unequivocal responsibility for a serious mistake. Over the years, I made public statements and gave interviews in which I unintentionally misstated aspects of my military service. Most notably, I implied directly or indirectly that I had been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. That is not true, and there is no excuse for it.
“I never received that honor, and I deeply regret ever suggesting otherwise. That kind of recognition is sacred. It represents extraordinary courage under fire acts that risk or cost lives. To those who truly earned it, and to their families and brothers-in-arms, I offer my sincere and direct apology. What I said disrespected your service, and I take full ownership of that.”
Tim Kennedy Vows to do Better in the Future
While an apology, and ownership of his past mistakes may seem like the end of this saga, Kennedy wants fans and his fellow service members to know that this is in fact just the beginning.
As the former UFC vet indicated in his post on Wednesday, he’s committed to rebuilding the trust he destroyed.
“This apology is not the end, it’s the beginning. I am committed to rebuilding trust through honest reflection, visible accountability, and ongoing service to the community I misrepresented myself to. I will no longer speak about my service in a way that elevates me beyond what I actually did.
“From now on, my words will be guided by truth, humility, and respect. I understand that words alone don’t heal disappointment or restore trust. Only time and action will.”
Looking Back at Tim Kennedy’s Previous Post Regarding Stolen Valor
Prior to Wednesday’s apology, Tim Kennedy had been the subject of criticism from veterans and military service members for months.
For example, retired Green Beret Nate Cornacchia, who has 183,000 subscribers on his Valhalla VFT YouTube channel, repeatedly called out the former fighter on his platform.
Similarly, The Antihero Podcast, did a deep dive into some of the claims Kennedy made in his book, Scars and Stripes, criticizing various claims made by Kennedy such as that he threw 25 grenades into a building, recorded 20 combat deployments, and was hit by shrapnel.
As previously mentioned, several months back, Kennedy made a post on Instagram regarding the situation.
At the time, he acknowledged that a webpage where he can be booked for speaking engagements lists him as having a Bronze Star with Valor, however, the UFC vet indicated that he was unaware of the situation.
Additionally, he wrote that he never claimed to have a Bronze Star with Valor, something he’s since backtracked on:
While he downplayed the situation at the time, his latest post admitting to misstating aspects of his service paints a different story.
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