Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his Massachusetts prison cell Wednesday morning of an apparent suicide. Tom Brady announced later Wednesday morning he won’t join the New England Patriots at the White House due to personal family matters.
These are two completely separate events. But People magazine apparently didn’t think so, judging by the tweet it sent out Wednesday about both news items.
Tom Brady pulls out of the New England #Patriots White House visit after Aaron Hernandez's suicide https://t.co/M19cpicUrM pic.twitter.com/9Ix91Qp1xi
— People (@people) April 19, 2017
Never mind that Brady is not visiting the White House in order to spend time with his mother, who is recovering from cancer treatments, and that Hernandez’s death would have no bearing whatsoever on what Brady does or doesn’t do.
People still decided to insinuate that Brady skipped out on the White House in part because of the Hernandez news, both in this tweet and the headline of its accompanying story: “Tom Brady Pulls Out of New England Patriots White House Visit After Aaron Hernandez Suicide.”
In defense of the author, the actual story doesn’t make the same insinuation, instead referencing Brady’s statement as his reason for declining to visit President Donald Trump. But to suggest Wednesday’s two surprising headlines somehow are related is a pretty misguided leap of faith.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
