Road House: Conor McGregor’s welcoming into Hollywood is sickening
The Doug Liman-directed remake of 1989’s Road House hit streaming this week.
The film has found itself at the centre of a row over Amazon’s decision to put it straight on streaming, with Liman boycotting the SXSW premiere in protest (reports have claimed that in fact Liman agreed to go streaming-first in exchange for a higher overall budget).
Meanwhile everyone appears to have turned a blind eye to the casting of Conor McGregor as the film’s villain alongside lead Jake Gyllenhaal.
McGregor is an exceptional MMA fighter… and also an incredibly aggressive, violent man. He has had numerous run ins with the law and faced accusations of sexual assault.
The decision to cast him is disgraceful.
In April 2018 he attacked a bus carrying several MMA competitors, leading to charges of assault and criminal mischief. He ended up pleading no contest to disorderly conduct and given community service and anger management classes.
In March 2019 in Florida he attacked a fan who was taking his picture with a cellphone. He was arrested and charged with strong-armed robbery. He agreed to an out of court settlement with the victim.
In August of that same year he attacked an older man in a pub in Dublin. He ended up pleading guilty to assault and was fined. (He later bought the pub).
In September 2020 he was arrested on the island of Corsica on suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent assault. The investigation was later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Italian DJ Francesco Facchinetti alleges McGregor punched him in the face, breaking his nose, at a party at a Rome nightclub in October 2021. McGregor has never spoken about the alleged attack and has not been charged.
A woman in her 40s alleged that McGregor attacked her on his yacht in Ibiza in July 2022. The woman sued McGregor over the alleged assault, which he denied, but the claim was withdrawn in February 2023 with no reason given.
Months after this alleged assault filming for Road House began (August 2022). It wrapped in spring 2023.
In July he is set to face a trial over allegations of dangerous driving in Dublin.
As part of the promotion of the film this week Gyllenhaal had to sit next to an erratic, twitching McGregor for an interview (McGregor has always denied drug-use accusations).
https://twitter.com/casualmmainc/status/1771176815542890695
The clip makes for excruciating watching as the Hollywood pro tries to style out McGregor’s bizarre behaviour, almost looking like a concerned older brother. Suffice to say, the MMA fighter doesn’t appear to be in good health.
‘Cancel culture’ cannot be real in a world where McGregor is being given a pathway to a Hollywood career. Let’s hope it’s one-and-done.
