Young Chiefs fan and dad respond to ‘blackface’ accusations: 'Never meant to disrespect any Native Americans'

Bubba Armenta and his son Holden join 'Jesse Watters Primetime' to discuss a Deadspin reporter smearing the 9-year-old as racist for wearing a Native headdress and 'blackface' to a Kansas City Chiefs game.

A young Kansas City Chiefs fan who was called out by a sports reporter for wearing red and black face paint with a Native headdress during a game is speaking out about the controversy, saying he is Native American. 

Holden Armenta and his father Bubba exclusively joined "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Wednesday to respond to Deadspin reporter Carron J. Phillips accusing the 9-year-old of wearing "blackface" and finding a way to "hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time." 

Phillips initially shared a photo of the young boy with only half of his face covered in black paint before additional photos surfaced that showed Holden wearing half red and half black paint on his face.

Holden Armenta, 9, attends the Chiefs-Raiders game on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas. 

The Armenta family said they are part of the Chumash tribe, hailing from California, and used to live on a reservation. 

"We never in any way, shape or form meant to disrespect any Native Americans or any tribes. The tribe we're from doesn't even wear that type of headdress. This specific headdress is a novelty piece. It's a costume piece," said the elder Armenta Wednesday on "Jesse Watters Primetime." "That's exactly what we had purchased it for and wore it for--not in any disrespect towards any Native Americans at all."

Phillips continued to double down on his "blackface" allegations even claiming he could argue that the red paint on Holden’s face "makes it even worse." 

CALIFORNIA MIDDLE SCHOOLER BANNED FROM SPORTS OVER ‘BLACKFACE,’ BUT GROUP SAYS IT WAS