Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced a postponement of his latest Under Armour collection out of respect for Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer as he tried opening his car door.
Blake was reportedly on the scene trying to break up a domestic dispute before officers arrived and turned their focus on him; he was then tased before being shot. The incident this week has since caused an uproar in protests and continued advocacy for racial equality amongst civilians and stars and athletes alike.
Johnson, who was supposed to release his a new Project Rock training shoe today with Under Armour, took to Twitter to announce that the release will be postponed to a further undermined date in light of the current climate surrounding the shooting.
“Unbelievable we’re here again. Shot 7xs. In the back. In front of his kids. There’s no progress without humanity,” wrote the wrestler in his post.
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Out of respect for Jacob Blake & his family we’ll postpone our @projectrock @underarmour PR3 launch today. I’ll keep you posted on our relaunch date.
Unbelievable we’re here again.
Shot 7xs. In the back.
In front of his kids.
There’s no progress without humanity.— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 27, 2020
The Project Rock 3 training shoes were set to launch today, as previewed on the “San Andreas” actor’s Instagram. He shared images of two colorways of the workout-ready footwear silhouette on his account on Wednesday, writing: “Next evolution of bad ass training shoe arrives THIS THURSDAY I’ve been working on these for a year and pumped to deliver my NEW PR3s. @underarmour’s #1 seller. Innovation meets sweat equity. Engineered for the hardest workers in the room.”
Johnson and the athletic brand joined forces in 2016; since then, the two powerhouses have continued to release collections of apparel, footwear and accessories that sell out within hours of their release. Per Forbes, the retired WWE star earns seven figures in royalties from sales of his UA gear.
