Former Navy SEAL and motivational speaker David Goggins has launched a fierce counterattack against critics who branded him a “deadbeat dad,” calling their accusations “defamation” and demanding they produce evidence to support their claims.
In a passionate video response, Goggins expressed his frustration with social media users who seized upon a TikTok post from his daughter to launch attacks against his character. “You guys had zero facts. None whatsoever. You heard one side of the story and took it and ran,” he stated emphatically.
The controversy began when Goggins’ 21-year-old daughter posted content suggesting her father had been absent from her life. The post quickly went viral, triggering a wave of criticism across social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where users created numerous videos condemning the fitness guru.
Goggins revealed that accusations about his parenting have persisted for years, but he chose to remain silent out of respect for his daughter and ex-wife. “I took the high road,” he explained, noting that his reluctance to respond publicly was motivated by his desire to avoid speaking negatively about his family members.
The situation reached a breaking point when Goggins was confronted with the allegations during a recent speaking engagement. Video footage of his emotional response, recorded by attendee Maddie W, has since circulated online, showing Goggins addressing the painful accusations directly.
The motivational speaker expressed particular frustration with content creators who profited from the controversy. He pointed out that while videos calling him a “deadbeat dad” garnered millions of views, subsequent apology videos from the same creators received significantly fewer views and engagement.
“You’re getting paid off damaging me and lying about me,” Goggins accused, suggesting that some creators maintained their original accusations because removing them would eliminate their revenue stream.
Throughout his response, Goggins emphasized his willingness to be transparent about his life while maintaining boundaries regarding his family. “I have nothing to hide. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about me,” he declared, while explaining that discussing family matters publicly causes him significant distress.
The fitness icon challenged his accusers to substantiate their claims, repeatedly demanding they produce “receipts” to support their allegations. “I got all the child support. I got all the text messages. I got all the things I was trying to do to be in my daughter’s life,” he stated, indicating he possesses documentation that contradicts the deadbeat father narrative.
Goggins also addressed what he perceives as a rush to judgment from people who presented themselves as morally superior. “I didn’t know that there were so many perfect people,” he said sarcastically, criticizing those who condemned him without seeking additional context or his perspective on the situation.