10,000 Petition Gillette To Drop Sponsorship After Kraft Charges

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Over 10,000 people signed a petition calling for Gillette to drop its stadium sponsorship from the New England Patriots and Revolution following soliciting prostitution charges against owner Robert Kraft. Kraft is among at least 25 people charged as a result of a a six-month investigation into an international sex trafficking operation out of Orchids of Asia Spa in Jupiter, Fla.

A Care2 online petition was started after court documents said Kraft visited the spa twice while it was under video surveillance. The spa is accused of exploiting vulnerable women with the promise of regular massage therapy work , but instead the woman were forced into performing sexual acts, court documents revealed. Over 13,000 people have signed the petition.

“Robert Kraft believed his power would protect him from being held accountable for exploiting vulnerable women forced into sex slavery," Care2 spokeswoman Rebecca Gerber told WHDH news. "This is exactly the kind of behavior Gillette said it will stand against.”

Kraft last week pleaded not guilty to the solicitation charges.

"We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further," a spokesperson for Kraft said after the charges were announced.

Gillette recently dropped a new public relations campaign titled, “The Best Man Can Be.” The campaign was an effort to promote holding men to higher standards and promoting healthy representations of what masculinity means.

Gillette did not immediately return Patch's request for comment

Kraft's court date is scheduled for March 27. He is being represented by Florida defense attorney Jack Goldberger. Goldberger led the defense team for billionaire Jeffrey Epstein when he faced charges of trafficking underage girls for sex.

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