Hims & Hers stock dropped 4% amid the controversy.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
The CEO of Hims & Hers brand, Andrew Dudum, attempted to walk back his support for anti-Israel campus protests in an X post on Sunday.
The head of the telehealth company specializing in treatments for hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and skin conditions posted on X, “The last few days have been a disheartening reflection of just how divisive a time we live in,” Dudum began. “I’d like to clarify a few things because my words have been misconstrued by some.”
He continued, “I, in no way, condone nor support acts or threats of violence, antisemitism, or intimidation and there is absolutely no justification for violence on our campuses.”
Dudum added, “Every student deserves to feel safe without fear of harm or being targeted for who they are. I am deeply saddened that my support for peaceful protest has been interpreted by some as encouraging violence, intimidation, or bigotry of any kind.”
The damage control came after Dudum’s initial post on Friday when he encouraged anti-Israel protesters to avoid worrying about their future career prospects and go out and protest against Israel.
He wrote, “Moral courage > College degree If you’re currently protesting against the genocide of the Palestinian people & for your university’s divestment from Israel, keep going.”
He added, “It’s working. There are plenty of companies & CEOs eager to hire you, regardless of university discipline.”
Dudum then provided a link to apply for a job at his company and welcomed anti-Israel student protesters to join his team.
Following his remarks on Friday, he was greeted with strong criticism and statements from customers who threatened to stop buying Him & Hers products.
The company’s stock tumbled 4% amid the controversy.
Following the October 7th massacre committed by Hamas, Dudum posted in November that while he acknowledged the atrocities against Israelis were “horrendous,” he took issue with companies giving “unequivocal support” for Israel.
Dudum claims to have a nuanced view of the conflict thanks to the fact that, according to his claims, his children are descended from Palestinians and Jewish Holocaust survivors.
He wrote on X, “As a father whose children are both the descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled the Nakba in 1948 and the descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland, as I have previously shared, I have a personal appreciation for the different perspectives people have which I live with daily at my dinner table.”
It is unclear where the children’s Jewish roots come from, but Dudum’s wife, Lea Dessi-Olive, CFO at floss company Cocofloss, regularly posts anti-Israel content and has several times accused Israel of instituting a policy of apartheid against the Palestinians.