Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum clarifies remarks on campus ...

SAN FRANCISCO: Andrew Dudum, CEO and founder of telemedicine company Hims & Hers, responded on Sunday to backlash to his earlier comments supporting pro-Palestinian protesters, saying all students should feel safe on their college campuses. 

Dudum posted a thread on X on Sunday night after receiving backlash for comments he made last week about wanting to hire college students who are taking part in pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.

Some X users said they would boycott Hims & Hers, and others said they are selling their stock in the company. The company’s share price dropped 8% on Friday amid criticism over Dudum's statement.

“The last few days have been a disheartening reflection of just how divisive a time we live in,” Dudum wrote on X on Sunday, adding that his words were “misconstrued by some.”

Dudum added there is no justification for violence on campuses. Every student “deserves to feel safe without fear of harm or being targeted for who they are. I am deeply saddened that my support for peaceful protest has been interpreted by some as encouraging violence, intimidation, or bigotry of any kind,” he said on Sunday. 

Dudum added that he believes deeply in the right for people to “use their voices in peaceful protest to drive change. This right is critical to our democracy and must be protected.”

He also shared that his children are both the descendants of refugees who fled the displacement of Palestinians in 1948, and the descendants of Holocaust survivors from Poland.

Dudum also linked to a Medium post he wrote in November, just weeks after Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, titled: “In pursuit for peace: Our leaders need to embrace nuance.”

In the post, Dudum said he is a Palestinian-American with roots and family in the West Bank and Gaza and said Hims & Hers’ values are based on a respect for human dignity and life.

Protests started at U.S. college campuses last month, and encampments were established at more than 40 colleges nationwide. There have been more than 1,900 arrests or detainments following a wave of activism at universities across the country.

On Monday morning, Columbia University, where police removed protesters from an occupied building last Tuesday, said it is canceling its main commencement ceremony. 

In October, Hims & Hers named Khobi Brooklyn as its chief communications officer. 

The company connects consumers with licensed healthcare professionals, enabling access to high-quality care for conditions related to sexual health, mental health and more. Hims & hers, which also offers its own range of products, works with Los Angeles-based Hustle & Co. on media relations.