Global soccer star Kylian Mbappe laughing at a meme involving China's late dictator Mao Zedong has resulted in days of backlash, TV blackouts, lost sponsors, and what is at least being presented as utter hysteria around the country. One woman who grew up in China during Mao's Cultural Revolution is not only pushing back against her home country's reaction, but also calling out how blatantly ridiculous the situation is.

Xi Van Fleet, a Chinese-American author and anti-communist activist, joined Fox Business on Thursday, and when asked about Mbappe's practically immediate apology, she laid out the reality of the situation.

"This is really interesting, because most of the people in China have no idea what Mbappe said," she began. "They were told that he insulted China. You have no freedom of speech, you have no freedom of press, you don't know what really happened. You just do what the government tells you to do.

"Is Mao not a dictator? I lived my entire youth under Mao, and there is no one who doesn't know anyone else who died because of Mao's rule. He killed up to 80 million Chinese. Calling him a dictator is not even appropriate. He is a tyrant, and he is a mass murderer."

The controversy involving China and Mbappe started after a recent interview on The Bridge, a French talk show hosted by Mbappe's Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, when the 27-year-old Frenchman laughed about a meme with his face imposed on an image resembling Mao. One of Mbappe's most popular nicknames is "The Dictator," hence the meme and joking around.

BOBBY BURACK: KYLIAN MBAPPÉ JOINS LEBRON JAMES, JOHN CENA, OTHER ATHLETES IN BENDING THE KNEE TO CHINA

THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!

China's rulers did not find anything funny about Mbappe's interaction with the meme. Several Chinese sponsors severed ties with him, and state-run CCTV stopped airing La Liga matches in China, the top-flight league in Spain that features Real Madrid and 19 other clubs.

La Liga issued the first public apology, which was then followed by Mbappe, and eventually an apology came from Real Madrid. The Spanish club initially expressed that Mbappe's "personal expression" would not affect commercial connections in China, nor did he intend to offend the Chinese people. CCTV responded by demanding a formal apology from the club, which it obliged to on Wednesday.

OUTKICK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOX NEWS APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

For Xi, the swift apologies from Mbappe and all involved are frustrating, and as she explained, she would have advised the soccer star to go a different route.

"The truth will set you free; know who Mao was and then you should stand by what you said," she explained.

An Ohio high school soccer referee suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung after a Steubenville player knocked him to the ground during a playoff game Tuesday against New Philadelphia, according to reports.

The post High School Soccer Referee Left with Collapsed Lung, Broken Ribs After Shocking Attack by Player appeared first on Breitbart.

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has been discharged from hospital following his collapse last week.

Ange Postecoglou’s former lieutenant Peter Cklamovski has turned a team owned by Manchester United royalty into one of English football’s form teams.

Ange Postecoglou’s former lieutenant Peter Cklamovski has turned a team owned by Manchester United royalty into one of English football’s form teams.

Thierry Henry has defended himself after criticism over the way he hosted the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Thierry Henry has defended himself after criticism over the way he hosted the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Hamas propaganda-pushing Youtube and Netflix star Ms. Rachel, famous for making children's content, is calling a Florida youth soccer league racist after a black parent claimed that officials benched her three-year-old son because he was "too good at soccer."

The post Netflix Star Ms. Rachel Accuses Children’s Soccer League of ‘Racism’ After Police Called on Black Player’s Parents appeared first on Breitbart.

James McClean's second spell at Derry City has come to an end after the player and the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

Real Madrid have issued an apology ⁠after star attacker Kylian Mbappe sparked a fierce backlash over his comments referring to late Chinese leader Mao Zedong as ‌a dictator.

Fleetwood shootout hero Conor Haughey admitted he had not even practised penalties before hitting an emphatic spot-kick that dispatched Arsenal and secured a Carabao Cup upset his manager Matt Lawlor described as "mental".

Arsenal slumped to one of the biggest upsets in the English League Cup’s 66-year history, knocked out by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.

Police officers were called to a youth soccer game in Florida, not because one of the players was too good, but because of his parents' alleged disruptive behavior on Saturday.

The post WATCH: Florida Parents’ Claim Cops Were Called on Three-Year-Old Soccer Player for Being ‘Too Good’ Debunked appeared first on Breitbart.

Arsenal are stunned by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in the round-of-16 in the EFL Cup.

Gabriel seals a vital Arsenal victory with a headed goal in a 2-0 win over Everton.

Craig Foster has delivered huge praise towards Ellie Carpenter, declaring she’s the best right back in the world right now.

James McClean says he has "no interest" in attending the FAI Cup final and that "the damage is done" regarding his relationship with Derry City.

• One of soccer's biggest stars is in hot water in China over joking about Chairman Mao Zedong.
• Kylian Mbappé referred to Mao as a "Chinese dictator" during a podcast talk about his favorite memes.
• Two Chinese brands ended deals with Mbappé, while shares in shoemaker On, which sponsors him, fell.

Chinese brands are cutting ties with Kylian Mbappé, one of the world's biggest soccer stars, after he joked about Mao Zedong on a podcast.

Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid and captains the French national team, has been nicknamed "The Dictator" for his confidence and influence over the teams he plays for. The nickname has spawned countless memes, many of which compare him to historical leaders, including Mao.

The controversy was sparked by a clip circulating on social media from an interview with "The Bridge," a French podcast co-hosted by one of Mbappé's teammates.

In it, Mbappé said the meme that made him laugh the most was one where his face was superimposed onto that of "some guy — I think he's a Chinese dictator." The video then cuts to an image of Mao with Mbappé's face.

While millions died under Mao's leadership, he is still revered by the Chinese Communist Party for his role as the founding father of modern China. Jokes about him remain a social taboo in China and are considered disrespectful.

Dongpeng, a drinks company whose ads and packaging feature Mbappé, announced on Tuesday that it would no longer work with him.

"Our company firmly opposes and has zero tolerance for actions that hurt national feelings," it said in a statement. "Effective immediately, we are ending all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé."

Mengniu, the country's largest dairy producer, also released a similar statement: "Effective immediately, our company is ending all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé. Mengniu firmly opposes and has zero tolerance for any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people."

Soon after it was posted, Dongpeng's statement became the top-trending topic on the Chinese social media site Weibo.

Mbappé apologized in a statement on Tuesday morning, calling the comment "ill-judged."

"I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," he said in the statement, which was posted in English, French, and Mandarin.

"I apologize to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."

Mbappé is one of soccer's biggest stars. On Monday, he came second in voting for the prestigious Ballon d'Or and was the top scorer at this summer's World Cup.

In 2017, while still a teenager, he commanded a transfer fee of over $210 million, and he has since become one of the most marketable athletes in global sports.

In September, he became the face of Swiss shoemaker On's expanding soccer business, leaving behind a long-term deal as one of Nike's top ambassadors. On's share price was down more than 4% in early trading on Tuesday.

On top of that deal, Mbappé is the face of EA Sports' hugely popular FC game series, and has endorsement deals with brands like Swiss watchmaker Hublot and Oakley.

Soon after Dongpeng and Mengnui's statements, EFE Noticias, a Spanish news agency, reported that Chinese state TV has suspended broadcasts of La Liga — the top division of Spanish football where Mbappé plies his trade.

"We convey our respect to China, its institutions, and its people, and we deeply value the support of the millions of fans who follow us each week," La Liga said in a Tuesday X post, adding that it was working with partners in China to address the situation.

Former Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman gave the strongest indication yet that he may have retired from the game after admitting things were "edging towards" that outcome.

Michael Carrick is expected to remain as Manchester United head coach for Saturday's Premier League match against Chelsea.