As it turns out, there are some things you really just shouldn't lie about. Steve Rannazzisi – best known for his work on FXX’s The League– is currently finding that out the hard way. Amid the outrage against him for his falsifications about his experience on 9/11, it seems that his professional life has begun to suffer, as well. The sports bar chain Buffalo Wild Wings has severed its ties with the comedian.
A few days ago, the company publicly stated that they were putting their relationship with Rannazzisi under review, and it seems they have made their final decision on the matter. According to People, Buffalo Wild Wings released a statement on Thursday regarding the future of their relationship with the actor.
Upon careful review, we have decided to discontinue airing our current television commercials featuring Steve Rannazzisi
The commercials had up until recently proven to be popular, especially during sporting events. In them, Rannazzisi portrayed a beer drinking, football loving, Buffalo Wild Wings patron who regularly found himself in absurdly humorous situations – essentially an extension of his character Kevin from The League on FXX.
All things considered, we aren't exactly surprised by Buffalo Wild Wings' decision. The internet nearly exploded when the comedian recently came clean regarding a fourteen-year-old lie he had perpetuated: that he had been working for Merrill Lynch in the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and narrowly escaped with his life. He claimed the experience inspired him to leave the company and pursue his dream of acting. The story had become a popular topic of discussion during interviews and publicity events, but ultimately turned out to be completely fabricated.
Despite the public outrage, some have come to Rannazzisi’s defense. Fellow comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson – who actually lost his father on 9/11 – spoke out on the matter. Davidson has publicly stated his anger towards the lie, but also urged for calm.
FX – the network responsible for much of his mainstream success – also released a statement voicing their disapproval of his lie, but that they ultimately believed in the sincerity of his apology.
At this point it is really hard to determine if Rannazzisi’s career will ever recover from the effects of his lie. For now, the one thing we can be sure of is that he won't see him advertising chicken wings again any time soon; so if you're looking for work, you may want to head over to Buffalo Wild Wings and see if they need a new spokesperson.
