Apple Executive Departs After Crude TikTok Comment

Apple has parted ways with one of its executives, who reportedly was a key player in its supply chain operations.

Reuters reported that Tony Blevins is leaving Apple, the company confirmed on Thursday, without providing a reason.

However the departure comes after Blevins featured in a brief TikTok video making a crude remark about women. Unfortunately the video went viral.

Crude remarks

The offending video was published earlier this month by TikTok and Instagram content creator Daniel Mac (aka Itsdanielmac).

Daniel Mac has made a name for himself on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and elsewhere, by filming him approaching the drivers of high-end luxury cars and asking them what they do for a living.

In the video in question, Daniel Mac approached Tony Blevins who was climbing out of his Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with a female companion, and asked his usual question. “Nice car, what do you do for a living?”

Blevins and his lady companion were laughing, when Blevins replied “I have rich cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and major holidays off”.

Blevins was clearly joking and speaking off-the-cuff, but Apple did not see the funny side.

Bloomberg (which first reported on the story) noted that Blevins appeared to be referencing a nearly identical line spoken by the main character in the 1981 film “Arthur” staring Dudley Moore.

Supply chain specialist

Apple did not comment on the reason for Blevins’ departure.

Reuters said it had attempted to reach Blevins for comment but was unsuccessful.

Bloomberg cited a statement from Blevins in which the executive apologised for causing offense with what he called a “mistaken attempt at humour.”

Blevins was reportedly a vice president at Apple, and had an important role in the company’s supply chain operations.

His job involved lining up anywhere from two to six suppliers for each of the thousands of components in Apple’s products and playing those suppliers off one another to get better prices for Apple.

A 2020 profile of Blevins in the Wall Street Journal said he was know inside the iPhone maker as “the Blevinator.”