A shocking video has surfaced showing Kurt Zouma, a defender for West Ham United and France, severely assaulting his pet cat.
The horrifying video, which was shared by Zouma’s brother, Yoan, on Snapchat, shows the 27-year-old former Chelsea star kicking, slapping, and throwing items at the animal.
The video was shot at Zouma’s £2 million London mansion over the weekend, and the France international is expected to face legal action as a result of his actions.
‘I want to apologise for my conduct,’ Zouma stated in a statement to the Sun.
‘I make no excuses for my actions, which I deeply regret.’
‘I also want to express my sincere apologies to everyone who was offended by the video.
‘I want to reassure everyone that our two kitties are in wonderful health.’
‘Our entire family loves and cherishes them, and this was an unique occurrence that will not happen again.’
The RSPCA condemned Zouma’s actions and emphasized the significance of reporting such incidents in response to the upsetting footage.
‘This is an extremely upsetting video,’ said an animal welfare charity spokeswoman.
‘Kicking, hitting, or slapping an animal, whether for punishment or otherwise, is never acceptable.
‘We are thankful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us, and we want to reassure people that we will always investigate and, if necessary, look into any complaints about animal welfare brought to us.’
Meanwhile, Zouma’s club, West Ham United, has criticized his actions and said that an internal investigation will be launched into the incident.
‘West Ham United unequivocally condemns our player, Kurt Zouma,’ a club official told the publication.
We’ve spoken with Kurt and will handle the situation internally, but we want to be clear that we don’t condone animal cruelty in any form.’
Last August, Zouma moved from Chelsea to West Ham for £30 million, and he signed a contract that will keep him at the London Stadium until 2025.
Take a look at the video below.