After the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the beginning of the MeToo movement in 2017, we’ve seen a global reckoning with sexual misconduct. Behavior that we would have turned a blind eye to in the past is now being reexamined as hostile, inappropriate, and, in some cases, criminal.

There’s no better example than what happened to Kent superbike champion Shane Byrne in 2021. Shane Byrne, or “Shakey” as he’s known to his fans, is a British professional motorcycle road racer and six-time winner of the British Superbike Championship. He earned the nickname Shakey after suffering serious injuries from a crash in May 2018. But it isn’t his successful career or his miraculous recovery that’s making the news these days–it’s a video of an incident that took place over a decade ago in which Byrne displays some shockingly questionable behavior.

In 2013, he was fresh off his third win of the British Superbike Championship and still in the midst of his racing career. After placing first in a race, Byrne was filmed standing on a podium with two other racers and two female models. In the video, each racer is holding a bottle of champagne and spraying the contents over the models’ heads. But while his fellow racers hold their bottles up high, Byrne holds his underneath one of the models’ skirts, spraying her with champagne underneath her dress.

Back then, the video didn’t attract any notice at all. But when a video of the incident resurfaced online in 2021, it created a massive scandal that threatened to upend Byrne’s entire legacy. Viewers were shocked by Byrne’s actions, accusing him of sexual assault and demanding justice for the model.

“The situation is appalling,” said one commenter. “The victim in this case is unable to defend herself as it might jeopardize her career instead of his.”

“That’s sexual harassment without even touching,” said another. “Men are innovative in making women feel unsafe.”

Byrne, no doubt feeling the heat of all the unwelcome attention, released an apology video on his Instagram on April 2nd, 2021.

“I realize I ought to have made this apology earlier, not doing so has been completely wrong,” said Byrne. “I would like to sincerely apologise to the lady and the other women on the podium that day. My behaviour was completely inappropriate and unacceptable in every way. It is a moment I hugely regret and I am deeply sorry to the lady, my fans and to anyone else offended by my actions.”

Though he did end up apologizing eight years after the event, some commenters were unmoved. “I am happy you apologized for sexually assaulting her,” said one commenter.

Others, however, lent their support to Byrne and criticized cancel culture for forcing Byrne to apologize. “F–king world gone crazy when you have to apologize for something years ago!!” said one of Byrne’s supporters.

Although Byrne’s career as a racer has ended, he continues to work as a sports manager and weekend commentator for racing. Whether this resurfaced video will have any lasting impact on his career or his legacy is yet to be determined. But his story certainly serves as a warning to other people in the spotlight–your past can always come back to haunt you.