Pacquiao banned from LA shopping mall for anti-gay sentiment

Filipino boxer Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (C) is escorted by bodyguards as he arrives at Los Angeles International Airport to prepare for his upcoming fight against Timothy Bradley, in Los Angeles on March 12, 2016.
Pacquiao will fight Bradley in Las Vegas on April 9th. / AFP / Mark Ralston

Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao was banned anew from a shopping mall in Los Angeles for his anti-gay comments, though this was not the first time it had happened.

Pacquiao arrived in LA this week to continue his training for his April 9 bout against Timothy Bradley. He took a break from his training at the Wild Card Gym to catch a movie at The Grove with his entourage according to a report from TMZ.

Later on, the Grove owner Rick Caruso told the celebrity news website that Pacquiao is “no longer welcome” at the shopping center because of  his “hatred” towards the LGBT community.

“A lot of people from the gay community come to The Grove and they have a right not to feel uncomfortable,” Caruso also said.

Back in 2012, The Grove also banned Pacquiao for similar comments but later rescinded it believing that Pacquiao had been misquoted.

But last month, Pacquiao’s remarks implying gays are “worse than animals” drew outrage, causing global brands like Nike to sever its ties with the boxing icon.