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Red Carpet - 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards

Source: Stanley Chou / Getty

Marvin Hagler‘s wife is speaking out to address the cause of her husband’s death after rampant speculation following the announcement this weekend.

Kay Hagler announced the boxing icon died Saturday. But her announcement followed a claim from rival boxing legend Thomas Hearns that stated without proof that Hagler had been hospitalized from adverse reactions to “the vaccine.”

Now, Kay Hagler is attempting to set the record straight. She took to Hagler’s Facebook fan page — the same medium through which she announced the death on Saturday — and seemingly dismissed Hearns’ “stupid” claims. Her comments came as conspiracy theories flooded social media timelines about the cause of Hagler’s death.

“I was the only person close to him until the last minute , and I am the only person that know how things went not even his family know all the details and I do NOT accept to read some stupid comment without knowing really what happen,” Kay Hagler posted on Monday morning. “For sure wasn’t the vaccine that caused his death . My baby left in peace with his usually smile and now is not the time to talk nonsense .”

Kay Hagler also said there wouldn’t be a funeral because her husband never liked them.

“He wants to be remembered with a happy smile,” she wrote while hinting that there could be an upcoming memorial — “something special that I will do because it was his wishes.” She said she will provide those details “at the right time.” But for now she said, “I just need time.”

Read Kay Hagler’s full statement below.

The statement from Hearns seemed to resonate most with people who are suspicious of the COVID-19 vaccine and equate its administering to unproven laboratory trials.

Hearns, with whom Hagler had arguably his greatest triumph in the ring back in the 1980s, said on Saturday prior to Hagler’s death that his former rival was suffering health problems due to “the vaccine,” using an exclamation mark for emphasis.

Hearns posted that message to his verified Instagram account and asked his followers to pray for Hagler, who he called “the king,” and his family.

“He’s in ICU fighting the after effects of the vaccine!” Hearns claimed in the post without offering any proof or specifying which vaccine.

Hearns assured his followers that Hagler will “be just fine but we could use the positive energy and Prayer for his Full Recovery !”

The Facebook announcement from Hagler’s wife announcing his death came later that same day.

After Hearns’ Instagram post was widely interpreted as confirmation Hagler suffered complications from the COVID-19 vaccine, he went back on the social media app to add some context.

“Allow us to have our peace. Our love and respect to Marvin and his family, this is not an anti vaccine campaign,” Hearns wrote via his Instagram stories on Sunday. “It’s outrageous to have that in mind during the passing of a King, Legend, Father, Husband and so much more.”

TMZ reported that one of Hagler’s sons said his father was hospitalized Saturday “after experiencing trouble breathing and chest pains at home.”

Hagler’s website was updated to say he died “of natural causes near his home in New Hampshire,” contrasting slightly with his wife’s statement that he died “at his home in New Hampshire.” Hearns’ initial statement suggested Hagler may have died in a hospital.

Hagler is forever linked to Hearns after beating him by TKO in the third round of their legendary fight in 1985.

It was unclear if Hagler was vaccinated.

Conspiracy theorists on social media cited the recent deaths of other aging high-profile former athletes like Hank Aaron and Leon Spinks who had been given the COVID-19 vaccine in the weeks before dying as purported proof, but their deaths were never officially linked to taking vaccines.

There have not been any official reports of deaths attributed to the COVID-19 vaccines that have been widely distributed. The U.S. on Saturday reached a milestone by surpassing 100 million doses administered.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has listed several side-effects that are common from COVID-19 vaccinations that don’t include death. They include experiencing pain, redness, swelling, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.

There have been multiple deaths reported following COVID-19 vaccinations, but only a small fraction of them have been tied to the vaccines themselves.

According to the CDC, as of March 9, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System “has not detected patterns in cause of death that would indicate a safety problem with COVID-19 vaccines.”

The effort to vaccinate America has been a massive undertaking, prioritizing people in Hagler’s age group and older. The vaccines are expected to be made available to all adults by May 1, with hundreds of millions of doses recently ordered by President Joe Biden.

There has been some vaccine hesitancy across all demographics, with media reports emphasizing distrust among Black people in America. However, a number of notable Black people have publicly received their vaccines without reporting any complications, including former first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris.

This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.

SEE ALSO:

Thomas Hearns Says Marvin Hagler Was ‘In ICU Fighting The After Effects Of The Vaccine’

Beyond Mistrust: The Digital Divide Is Preventing Older Black People From Getting Vaccinated, Too

Marvin Hagler’s Wife Says It ‘Wasn’t The Vaccine That Caused His Death’  was originally published on newsone.com