Young Fan at Center of Face Paint Controversy Worries It Could Get 'Scary'

The 9-year-old boy accused by a Deadspin writer of racist behavior for painting his face black and red before attending a Kansas City Chiefs NFL game on Sunday said the attention he's been getting could become a "little scary."

Holden Armenta appeared Wednesday alongside his father for a segment on Jesse Watters Primetime, a Fox News show hosted by Jesse Watters, who has spoken extensively about the controversy, usually blasting Deadspin journalist Carron Phillips for "race baiting" and attacking a child for supporting his team.

During Wednesday's segment, Bubba Armenta said it was his son's dream to get stadium cameras to capture him. The face paint, Native American headdress and Travis Kelce jersey the boy wore did the trick, causing family and friends to congratulate him.

During the segment, Watters also showed the younger Armenta—in all his regalia—posing for a photo with the cheerleaders for the Las Vegas Raiders, the team the Chiefs beat on Sunday.

Soon after the game ended, though, a new narrative emerged—that Holden Armenta's painted face was an act of racism.

Deadspin's photo of the boy shows only half his face, the side painted black, and Phillips wrote a piece headlined: "The NFL needs to speak out against the Kansas City Chiefs fan in Black face, Native headdress."

The article began, "It takes a lot to disrespect two groups of people at once. But on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas a Kansas City Chiefs fan found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time."

"It's been a crazy couple of days. I was mad. Upset," Bubba Armenta told Watters on Wednesday.

When the host asked Holden Armenta how he's been doing, the boy said: "It's OK because a lot of kids at school are getting excited, but it's starting to get me a little nervous because, if they go a little bit overboard, it's a little scary."

Phillips also wrote in his article: "This is what happens when you ban books, stand against Critical Race Theory, and try to erase centuries of hate. You give future generations the ammunition they need to evolve and recreate racism better than before."

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has branded the article "purposely deceiving" because "the kid is not wearing blackface."

Newsweek reached out to Deadspin through its parent company, G/O Media, and this article will be updated should it respond.

Phillips initially said it didn't matter that he used the term "Black face" or that the two halves of the child's face were painted different colors, thus he posted Monday on X: "For the idiots in my mentions who are treating this as some harmless act because the other side of his face was painted red, I could make the argument that it makes it even worse. Ya'all are the ones who hate mexicans (sic) but wear sombreros on Cinco [de Mayo]."

Phillips removed the post shortly after the boy's mom, Shannon Armenta, noted that her son is Native American on his father's side. The boy's grandfather, Raul Armenta, reportedly sits on the board of the Chumash Tribe in Santa Ynez, California.

Wednesday evening, the chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Kenneth Kahn, released a statement regarding the controversy to Front Office Sports.

"We are aware that a young member of our community attended a Kansas City Chiefs game in a headdress and face paint in his way of supporting his favorite team," said Kahn in the statement shared by Front Office Sports reporter A.J. Perez on X.

"Please keep in mind that the decisions made by individuals or families in our community are their own and may not reflect the views of the broader tribal community. As a federally recognized tribe, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians does not endorse wearing regalia as part of a costume or participating in any other type of cultural appropriation."

Asked by Watters if he wants anything from Phillips, Bubba Armenta said: "it's a little too late for that. The damage is already done. It's worldwide. Now there's comments all over."

According to Watters, a large number of Chiefs fans are expected to show up at a future game with their faces painted red and black in solidarity with Holden Armenta and his family.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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