Orton: "Until black lives matter, all lives can't matter. My only regret is that it took me a little bit and some soul searching to see that."
WWE star Randy Orton detailed his support of Colin Kaepernick and the Black Lives Matter movement on Monday. Orton previously criticized the former 49ers quarterback in 2016.
"All lives do matter, but like I said on Twitter until Black lives matter, all lives can't matter," Orton told CBS Sports' Brent Brookhouse. "My only regret is that it took me a little bit and some soul searching to see that."
Orton said he previously viewed Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem as "disrespecting the American flag." But that view has changed following the death of George Floyd.
"It took me a little time, but what I had to do was realize, Kaepernick, he wasn't s---ting on the flag. He wasn't disrespecting the people that have given their lives for our freedom. He was taking a stand against police brutality," Orton told Brookhouse. "I started listening to my Black brothers and sisters, especially the ones I've known for years and some for more than a decade. I was hearing first-hand accounts of interactions with cops that took advantage of the situation and the power they had because they maybe felt a certain way about the color of someone's skin. That's when the lightbulb went off."
Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. He was stopped by officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd can be heard on video saying "I can't breathe," numerous times before his death.
Chauvin has been fired and charged with second-degree murder amid worldwide protests. Athletes across the sports world have joined the fight against police brutality and racial injustice, now including the WWE star.
"Sitting on your laurels and not saying anything? I don't think that's helping anything," Orton said. "You need to get out there and get in this conversation. You need to insert yourself. That is what I was trying to do."