Proper 12 drops Conor McGregor as product leaves shelves

Zane Simon

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Publish Date: 11/26/2024

Conor McGregor is already starting to see the fallout from his recent sexual assault trial.

A jury found the UFC superstar liable for nearly a quarter million euro in damages stemming from a 2018 encounter. In the trial victim Nikita Hand showed physical evidence, as well as police and medical reports, that McGregor raped her in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel in Dublin.

"I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served," Hand told reporters after the trial.

Conor McGregor loses Proper 12

Back in 2018, Conor McGregor introduced his Proper 12 Irish Whiskey brand. Along with gaining an ownership stake, the fighter lent his name and likeness to the bottom-shelf brand, skyrocketing sales. In 2021, the fighter sold his majority stake in the business, netting a reported $600 million in the process. While McGregor no longer had a controlling interest in the future of the brand, he continued to remain as the face of ad campaigns.

Following the recent verdict against the SBG Ireland talent, however, it appears that he will no longer represent Proper 12 in any way. The beverage brand's parent company, Proximo Spirits, announced the move in a statement to the Irish Times.

“Since 2021, Proximo Spirits has been the 100 per cent owner of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey,” the company stated. "Going forward, we do not plan to use Mr McGregor’s name and likeness in the marketing of the brand.”

In the days preceding this move, the Hitman video game series announced they had removed recently released DLC content. The 'Disruptor mission featured McGregor as an 'Elusive Target' in the World of Assassins release.

Proper 12 removed from shelves

Proximo's announcement quickly followed reports that several major retailers planned to pull the whiskey from their shelves. Irish food wholesaler the Musgrave Group, owners of SuperValu and Centra—with more than 1,250 locations nationwide—made the decision to pull all products associated with McGregor from their shelves. BWG Foods, with a network of more than 1,000 stores, quickly followed Proximo's actions. Major supermarket chain Tesco, with 177 locations, confirmed reports that they were also removing McGregor associated brands.

“We can confirm that we are removing Proper No 12 from sale in Tesco stores and online. Tesco does not stock Forged Irish Stout.”

Barry Group, operator of liquor store chains Costcutter and Carry Out made a similar proclamation.

“Barry Group has made the decision to remove Forged Stout and Proper 12 from circulation to our network of Costcutter and Carry Out retail outlets. This action reflects our commitment to maintaining a retail environment that resonates with the values of our customers and partners.”