Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, told a news outlet in a recent interview, "f—k you, LeBron" after the basketball star mocked his tearful testimony on Twitter suggesting that the emotional display was an act, according to a news report.
The teen was acquitted last month on all counts including homicide for using an AR-15-style rifle in self-defense to fatally shoot two men and wound another amid protests and riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020. Rittenhouse, then 17, was legally allowed to possess the weapon under Wisconsin law.
RITTENHOUSE FOUND NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS
He took the witness stand and sobbed as he recalled the night of the shooting, prompting the judge to call a recess.
The Los Angeles Laker fired off a snarky tweet on Nov. 10. "What tears????? I didn’t see one. Man knock it off! That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court," James wrote in the message followed by three laughing-crying emojis and a clip of Rittenhouse’s breakdown.
The teen told Blaze News in a brief interview published Tuesday that he used to admire James.
"I was a Lakers fan, too, before he said that," Rittenhouse told the news site. "I was really pissed off when he said that because I liked LeBron. And then I’m like, you know, what, f—k you, LeBron."
Despite the hurtful jab, Rittenhouse does not plan to sue the famous baller, Blaze reported.
KENOSHA PROTESTERS DEMAND RITTENHOUSE BE FOUND GUILTY
The Rittenhouse trial polarized the nation. Many conservative politicians and celebrities lauded the verdict while many Democrats called the acquittal a failure of the criminal justice system.
President Biden said in a statement: "While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken."
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The case became a rallying cry for champions of the Second Amendment and gun control activists.