Ronda Rousey Comments on Suicidal Thoughts and Manny Pacquiao's Anti-Gay Remarks

Rob BlanchetteFeb 23, 2016

Ronda Rousey has spoken out about Manny Pacquiao's anti-gay remarks and her comments on The Ellen DeGeneres Show regarding suicide. The UFC superstar said it is unacceptable that people use religion as a reason to criticise the gay community.

Rousey told TMZ (h/t James Montgomery of Rolling Stone—warning: link contains NSFW language) she disagrees with Pacquiao's stance:

"
I understand that a lot of people use religion as a reason to be against gay people, but there was no 'Thou Shall Not Be Gay.' God never said that, and I really think that our pope now is boss. He was saying something the other day that religion should be all-encompassing and should be about loving everyone. And I think people take the wrong message sometimes.
"

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Pacquiao has come under fire after claiming gay couples are “worse than animals.”

The legendary boxer gave his controversial views in an interview with a Filipino television station, TV5 (h/t the Guardian).

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 15: (L-R) Ronda Rousey faces Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LL

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Rousey also commented on the response she has received since revealing on Ellen she had suicidal thoughts after her defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193, per TMZ.

"I feel like there's been an overly negative light on [discussing suicidal thoughts]. It's something real people are going through, not something like a weakness that we should condemn," Rousey said. "It's really heavily affected our family…anything I can do to make sure it affects as few people as possible, I'd be happy to do that."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 15: (L-R) Ronda Rousey falls to the mat as she is knocked out by Holly Holm in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Phot

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Speaking on Ellen (h/t Paul Chavez of the Daily Mail), Rousey opened up for the first time about the crushing defeat to Holm and how she was initially distraught in the aftermath:

"
I was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself and that exact second I’m like ‘I’m nothing, what do I do anymore and no one gives a s--t about me anymore without this.’
[...]
To be honest I looked up and I saw my man Travis was standing up there and I looked up at him and I was like, I need to have his babies. I need to stay alive.
"

It is unknown when Rousey will return to the Octagon, but the nature of her defeat could leave her deflated for some time.