Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong apologized for his behavior after an interaction between him and a female Chicago White Sox fan went viral.
“I just regret my choice of words the most and who that affects in my life. Directly and indirectly,” Crow-Armstrong, 24, told reporters on Monday, May 18. “I don’t think that any of the women in my life would ever think that I would use those kinds of words regularly. Especially referring to them. So, I was just bummed out about the word choice and that a bunch of little kids find their way onto social media and see that as well.”
During the Cubs’ road game against the White Sox on Sunday, May 17, Crow-Armstrong was caught using sexually-explicit language and calling a female fan a “bitch” after he nearly made a spectacular catch in the outfield, which ultimately led to a two-run double for the Sox.
“I’ve gotten a lot of support from the people that know me,” Crow-Armstrong continued. “I think most of them know that’s something that came out specifically related to baseball and the situation at hand. That’s not something I pride myself on, calling people names like that.”
Crow-Armstong — who has become a superstar in Chicago and was selected to his first All-Star Game last season — acknowledged he has to keep his emotions in check, but maintained that he’s not going to lose his notorious edge.
“I don’t want to let that deter me from the competitiveness that I feel out on the field,” he said. “I think channeling it in a different way would probably be my next task. That’s something I should be aware of at all times, that there will be cameras on me. I’m not always going to let stuff like that fly either. It’s just about being a little more respectful and maybe killing somebody with kindness instead of matching their level of intent.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he spoke to Crow-Armstrong on Monday morning about the interaction.
“Pete made a mistake with his choice of words,” Counsell, 55, told reporters. “He’s aware of that, and that’s it. He made a mistake, and you gotta move on from it. It’s a reality of this job. It happens, fan interactions happen. You want to try and keep them positive even when they’re not.”
Counsell added, “Sometimes, when it’s a really emotional situation, it’s difficult. But it’s still a requirement of the job.”
Crow-Armstong has been dating his girlfriend, Hailey Lavelle, since the two met at Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker’s wedding in December 2023.
Cole, 29, played six seasons in the majors from 2019 to 2024. In a GQ profile published in July 2025, Crow-Armstrong called Cole’s younger brother, Carson, one of his “best friends.”
