Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris and David Berding/Getty Images
Alex Rodriguez has responded to the viral tan situation that took the internet by storm this weekend.
On Friday (February 23), the former baseball player was spotted at an NBA game between the Timberwolves and the Bucks.
Rodriguez, nonchalantly rocking an unusually dark tan, went unrecognized by many when they aimed the cameras at the 48-year-old sitting courtside next to Stephen A. Smith.
The internet went wild with memes and jokes about his bronzed appearance, even comparing him to a freshly baked dinner roll. Additionally, some fans even suggested that the dark tan gave former President Donald Trump a run for his money.
Needless to say, Rodriguez appeared to have seen all the commotion his appearance caused during the game, which prompted him to issue a response to his followers.
And on Saturday (February 24), the New York native took to Twitter to post a video, giving some context to his darker complexion.
“Alright everybody, I know that I’m dark, but I am Dominican, and I went on vacation — and I fell asleep in the sun,” he said. “So everybody, calm down. Traquilito y suavecito mi gente (stay calm everyone).”
Watch his response below.
Rodriguez’s recent posts on Instagram indicate that he was, in fact, on vacation just a few weeks ago. On January 5, he posted a photo of himself with his daughters in the Dominican Republic. The accompanying caption read, “Good to be back #DominicanRepublic.”
After this particular post, there was a noticeable difference in his skin complexion in the photos that followed, backing up Rodriguez’s recent explanation.
His fans met his response with a wave of positive reactions in the comment section, praising him for his humble attitude and admiring how he handled the situation.
Meanwhile, the fact that Rodriguez felt the need to address the matter took other people aback.
“Crazy that dude has to put out a statement about his shade of brown,” X user @mikeabadir wrote.
“He’s Dominican. This happens. Why are people shocked,” another person by the name @OldHeadHST commented.
Elsewhere, @Gilmo7e shared their thoughts on the tan situation, jokingly tweeting, “You’re too rich to fall asleep in the sun on vacation lol.”
Swipe below for some of the initial reactions to A-Rod’s tan.
