Proper No. Twelve, the popular Irish whiskey brand co-founded by Conor McGregor, has announced that it will no longer be using McGregor's name and likeness in its marketing efforts. This decision comes after McGregor was found liable in a sexual assault case.
Proximo Spirits, the distributor and owner of Proper No. Twelve, confirmed that they do not plan to feature McGregor in the promotion of the brand moving forward. McGregor, who played a significant role in the creation of Proper in 2018, sold a majority stake in the brand to Proximo in 2021.
A spokesperson for Proximo Spirits stated that the company now owns the Proper brand entirely. McGregor's image had been prominently featured in the marketing materials for Proper No. Twelve, contributing to its success as the third-best-selling Irish whiskey in the United States.
Following the verdict in the sexual assault case, Proper's website has been taken offline, and McGregor's presence has been removed from the brand's Instagram account. McGregor had previously appeared in television advertisements for Proper, including a recent campaign for the launch of a new apple-flavored variant.
In 2018, McGregor was accused of assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel room. Last week, a civil court jury in Ireland awarded Hand nearly 250,000 euros after finding McGregor liable for the assault. McGregor has since announced his intention to appeal the decision through his legal team.
As a result of the controversy, several retailers in the UK and Ireland, such as Tesco and SuperValu owner Musgrave, have removed Proper No. Twelve from their shelves. Additionally, video game developer IO Interactive has terminated its partnership with McGregor, who had lent his voice and likeness to the popular 'Hitman' series.
