Brian Kendrick has apologised for past comments he made about the Holocaust and insisted he was trying to ‘profit off of tragedy’.
The former star was hours before his planned debut in February after remarks he made several years ago resurfaced.
Kendrick had made a number of controversial statements linked to conspiracy theories, including describing the Holocaust as ‘overblown’ while also discussing , the moon landing, the death of Osama bin Laden and the Sandy Hook school shooting.
In a 2013 video, he claimed the Holocaust didn’t really happen, and suggested the death toll was far less than the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
After he was axed from AEW, Kendrick apologised ‘for the pain’ he caused, and added: ‘These are not my beliefs and never were beliefs of mine, and I crossed the line.’
Now, he has told the podcast: ‘Back then, I was trying to create some sort of buzz and I didn’t care who I offended.
‘When it gets thrown back in your face, one, it’s embarrassing, two, you’re forced to reflect on it. I’m sorry.
‘I’m sorry for being so cold-hearted and trying to profit off of tragedy. I suppose that’s what it was. I was trying to gain off of other’s tragedies but making conspiracies and creating a buzz for myself to gain bookings.’
Kendrick said he has since donated to Survivor Mitzvah, and insisted ‘prior to’ his past comments, he already ‘understood’ the tragedies.
As transcribed by , he explained: ‘Years ago, as part of WWE, Beth Phoenix and I went to Dokha. As a teenager, I went to the holocaust museum with my grandfather. I know these things.
‘It hasn’t dawned on me that these tragedies might have happened, it’s stuff I knew. What I was doing was, trying to profit off of that and trying to become a villain who would make light of such tragedy.’
He acknowledged the videos weren’t him being caught out in interviews, but that he ‘knew’ what he was saying and was actively ‘trying to offend’.
He continued: ‘It’s one thing to p**s them off. It’s another thing to offend them. I don’t want to offend anybody, but 10 years ago, I didn’t give a s**t.’
