West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma has been fined £250,000 – two weeks’ wages – after footage emerged of him kicking his cat. It is understood all proceeds will be donated to animal charities.
Here at MarkMeets, w take a zero tolerance approach to cruelty of any kind and even one of his main sponsors Vitality has announced it is suspending its sponsorship as West Ham’s official wellness partner after the “distressing” video of the defender Kurt Zouma kicking his cat.
Adidas have also followed suit.
The £29million football star £250,000 and he faces possible four years in French jail as the Premier league star Kurt Zouma, 27, kicked and slapped a cat in his £2m home.
The defender was laughed on video as he chased the cat around the kitchen
He was also seen throwing a pair of shoes at the cat as it frantically ran away
Video was taken on Sunday – day after he played in FA Cup match for West Ham
One online user commented “Overpaid & pampered cat abuser should not be on the pitch tonight or anytime soon. No excuse for animal abuse”.
Investigators have confiscated the animals and they are currently in their care, they revealed.
And West Ham have pledged to donate two weeks of his wages to animal charities.
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An RSPCA spokesperson confirmed: ‘We’re investigating and the cats are safe and in our care.
‘We have been dealing with this since before the clip went viral online and we need to follow the proper legal process and not discuss due to UK GDPR laws.’
The footballer, who is on £125,000 a week, has been docked two weeks’ wages by his club.
A statement said: ‘West Ham United can confirm that the club is supporting an RSPCA investigation into the actions of Kurt Zouma in the video circulated online this week.
‘Kurt and the club are co-operating fully with the investigation and the player has willingly complied with the steps taken in the initial stage of the process, including delivering his family’s two cats to the RSPCA for assessment.
‘Kurt is extremely remorseful and, like everyone at the club, fully understands the depth of feeling surrounding the incident and the need for action to be taken.
‘Separate to the RSPCA’s investigation and pending further sanction once the outcome of that process is determined, West Ham United can confirm that Kurt Zouma has been fined the maximum amount possible following his actions in the video that circulated.
‘The player has immediately accepted the fine, which will be donated to animal welfare charities.
‘West Ham United would like to reiterate our condemnation of Kurt’s actions and make it clear that the matter continues to be handled with the utmost seriousness.
‘However, we believe it is now important to allow the RSPCA to conduct their investigation in a fair and thorough manner, and will be making no further comment at this stage.’
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- Mark Boardman is an established showbiz journalist and freelance copywriter whose work has been published in Business Insider, Daily Mail, Bloomberg, MTV, Buzzfeed and The New York Post amongst other press. Often spotted on the red carpet at celebrity events and film screenings, Mark is a regular guest on BBC Radio London and in-demand for his opinions for media outlets including Newsweek. His TV credits include This Morning, The One Show and T4. Email Mark@MarkMeets.com
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