Written by Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Retired UFC fighter Tim Kennedy issued an apology after admitting that he lied about a specific military accolade he never actually received during his years of service.
A popular YouTube channel hosted by retired Green Beret Nathan Cornacchia posted a video where Kennedy claimed in an interview from 2017 that he won a Bronze Star with Valor after describing a scenario where he took down a “bad guy” during a conflict in one of his tours of duty. In the past, Kennedy stated that he never publicly claimed that he won a Bronze Star with Valor, which is a very specific military award handed out for “participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy.”
After Cornacchia posted the video, featuring the interview with Kennedy claiming he was given the Bronze Star with Valor and telling a story about what led to the award, the 45-year-old veteran issued a lengthy apology about misrepresenting himself and the awards he claimed during his military service.
“I want to take full and unequivocal responsibility for a serious mistake,” Kennedy wrote on Instagram. “Over the years, I made public statements and gave interviews in which I unintentionally misstated aspects of my military service. Most notably, I implied directly or indirectly that I had been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. That is not true, and there is no excuse for it. I never received that honor, and I deeply regret ever suggesting otherwise. That kind of recognition is sacred. It represents extraordinary courage under fire acts that risk or cost lives. To those who truly earned it, and to their families and brothers-in-arms, I offer my sincere and direct apology. What I said disrespected your service, and I take full ownership of that.
“I was young when I stepped into the public eye, and while I wasn’t prepared for the scrutiny or pressure that came with it, that doesn’t absolve me. I should have known better. Integrity is not situational, and I failed to uphold the standards I claimed to represent. To the military and veteran community, especially those who’ve served in combat or lost people they love. I am deeply sorry. I know I’ve let many of you down. You had every right to expect more from me, and I didn’t live up to that.”
Kennedy, who fought in the UFC five times after spending most of his career competing in organizations like Strikeforce and the IFL, promised to hold himself a higher standard moving forward.
“This apology is not the end, it’s the beginning,” Kennedy wrote. “I am committed to rebuilding trust through honest reflection, visible accountability, and ongoing service to the community I misrepresented myself to. I will no longer speak about my service in a way that elevates me beyond what I actually did.
“From now on, my words will be guided by truth, humility, and respect. I understand that words alone don’t heal disappointment or restore trust. Only time and action will. Thank you to those who have held me accountable. I will do my best to honor that accountability from this point forward.”
The apology still didn’t land with other members of the military community including another ex-Green Beret named Alex Theodosis, who blasted Kennedy for the way he worded his apology.
“Tim, your entire public persona and the lies that you’ve told are anything but ‘unintentional,’” Theodosis wrote on Instagram. “None of what you’ve crafted was by accident. The web of lies you’ve spun since 2007 have all been intentional and with the purpose of fame and money. When you were asked point blank about having a BSM-V, that would have been the perfect time to clear the record. Instead, you very intentionally lied about not only having the award but continued the lie with a made up story to reinforce your lie.
“This ChatGPT crafted non-apology is a clear cut case of ‘I’m not sorry I did it, I’m sorry that I got caught.’ Barely glazing over one of your many lies and promising to ‘do better’ doesn’t even scratch the surface of what the veteran community and the [Special Forces] Regiment deserve from you.”