Former boxing champ Kell Brook: I ‘messed up’ in snorting powder video
Kell #Kell
Former boxing champion Kell Brook issued a social media apology on Thursday after a video surfaced showing him appearing to snort white powder, The Sun first reported.
The 36-year-old, Brook — who announced his retirement in May — took to Twitter Thursday to share that he’s seeking help amid mental health struggles.
“I messed up,” Brook tweeted. “I hold my hands up and want to apologize to my family, gym, friends, and fans. It’s no secret that I struggle with mental health and I’m finding retirement hard.
You need better friends and people around you @SpecialKBrook pic.twitter.com/d6giumgKeB
— knighty (@_lknighty) January 29, 2023 Kell Brook celebrates victory over Amir Khan during their Welterweight contest at AO Arena in 2022. Getty Images
“I’m actively seeking the help I need to get me on the right path. Again I apologize for the hurt I’ve caused.”
In the video, which was published Saturday, Brook can be seen leaning over a glass coffee table and snorting a white substance through a straw.
The British boxer, who was wearing a Joe Louis t-shirt, can be heard saying “nice,” before shadow boxing at his home in Sheffield.
“This is a thing that has sort of got out of hand,” Brook’s manager, Terry Thompson told The Sun of the video. “They were at his house, they were having a laugh. They were joking about things. He said to them, ‘Film me having a laugh.’”
When asked if the powder was cocaine, Thompson replied: “No.”
It’s unclear who Brook was with at his home when the video was taken.
“Kell seems a bit lost without boxing, and it seems like it would be better for him if he made a comeback,” a source told The Sun. “He seems to be surrounded by the wrong people, who are not a good influence on him.”
Brook, who won the IBF welterweight title in 2014, went 40-3 in his pro fighting career before retiring in May 2022 — three months after he defeated longtime rival Amir Khan in six rounds at the AO Arena in Manchester England.
Brook has hinted at a return to the ring, though he has no set plans for a future bout at this time.
Earlier this month, promoter Ben Shalom told Sky Sports that Brook wanted to fight the winner of Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Smith, which took place on Jan. 21 in Manchester. Smith defeated Eubank Jr. in the fourth round of their middleweight contest.
In August, Brook sparked romance rumors with bantamweight world champion, Ebanie Bridges, who’s also known as the Blonde Bomber.