Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans has faced a backlash after posting a cartoon featuring a neo-Nazi symbol on Instagram. The image, which has since been deleted, showed a caterpillar wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat talking to a black butterfly with a 'black sun' symbol on its wing. The black sun, or sonnenrad, is associated with the SS paramilitary wing in Nazi Germany and has been used by white supremacists, including the Christchurch mosque gunman.
Following public outcry, major retailers Woolworths, Kmart, and Target have removed Evans' books from their shelves. Woolworths stated it reviews its book range regularly to ensure alignment with its values and decided to remove Evans' titles from November 17. Publisher Pan Macmillan also announced it would not enter into further publishing agreements with the chef and allowed retailers to return his books.
Kitchenware brand Baccarat also cut ties, saying it would stop making and selling products carrying Evans' name, describing his views as 'abhorrent, unacceptable and deeply offensive'. Evans has previously stoked controversy by promoting debunked conspiracy theories about Covid-19, calling the pandemic a 'hoax', and was fined A$25,000 for promoting a 'light machine' to treat the virus.
In a Facebook post, Evans apologised to anyone who 'misinterpreted' his post, claiming he did not intend to promote hatred. He said he would study symbols thoroughly before posting in the future.
