CAUSE FOR CONCERN

MMA Legend’s Social Media Posts Prompt Mental Health Concerns

Fans called for BJ Penn to get help after he claimed his family had been “murdered and replaced by imposters.”

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer and former champion B.J. Penn sparked concerns among fans after he claimed that his family had been “murdered and replaced by imposters.” In several posts on Instagram, Penn said that he has evidence that some of his family is “fake,” according to the New York Post. “My mother Lorraine Shin, my brother Jay Dee Penn, my brother, Reagan Penn and my brother Kalani Mamazuka [were] all murdered and I need [police] to investigate these guys get these people out of my house and my off my properties,” he captioned one post. In response, fans called on Penn to seek mental health treatment. “This is very skitzo mode. Please get help we love you brother,” one commentator wrote. Another added: “BJ we love you. Just consider the fact that you could be wrong, and Go talk to a doctor. These people are your family and they love you.” In recent years, Penn has landed in a spell of legal troubles for his erratic behavior. UFC CEO Dana White released Penn from the company in 2019 after the Hawaii native was filmed in a bar brawl, TMZ reported. Following a failed 2022 Hawaii gubernatorial campaign, Penn appeared to slide further into instability as he publicly scrutinized family members online, AthlonSports reported.