Manny Pacquiao’s ‘Statements of Hatred’ Get Him Banned From L.A. Mall

Manny Pacquiao needs to find a new place to shop.

The boxer has been banned from The Grove, a popular high-end retail complex in Los Angeles, as the fallout from anti-gay comments he made last month continues.

As you’re probably aware by now, while on the campaign trail in his native Philippines (he’s running for a seat in the senate), Pacquiao was asked about his stance on marriage equality. Given that he’s a conservative Christian, it wasn’t surprising to learn he’s opposed to giving same-sex couples equal rights, but he raised eyebrows when he said gays are “worse than animals.” Pac would later (sorta) apologize for the remark, but he also let it be known than he wasn’t bothered by the backlash, either. All while folks like Nike and Ronda Rousey were quickly distancing themselves from him (or, alternately, calling him “a fucking idiot.”)

Now, The Grove – located down the road from the gym where Pacquiao is training for his April 9 bout with Timothy Bradley – has said he’s no longer welcome on their property, barring both the boxer and his entourage because of those anti-gay comments.

“These are statements of hatred,” said Grove owner Rick Caruso. “A lot of people from the gay community come to The Grove and they have a right not to feel uncomfortable. Manny Pacquiao is no longer welcome.”

This isn’t the first time Pacquiao has been banned from The Grove, either. In 2012, when asked about his opinion on President Obama supporting gay marriage, Pacquiao told the National Conservative Examiner that people should “obey God’s law first before considering the laws of man.” But there was some confusion on just how strongly he felt about it all since the publication quoted Leviticus 20:13 saying gays “must be put to death.”

Pacquiao denied referencing that verse, the reporter confirmed it and The Grove eventually reversed the ban. But don’t expect them to let Pac off once again – there’s no denying what he said this time around.