diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/promotion_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/promotion_types.go
index 2ca7fd998..dfc71363f 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/promotion_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/promotion_types.go
@@ -112,13 +112,6 @@ func (p *PromotionStatus) WithPhase(phase PromotionPhase) *PromotionStatus {
 	return status
 }
 
-// WithFreight returns a copy of PromotionStatus with the given freight
-func (p *PromotionStatus) WithFreight(freight *FreightReference) *PromotionStatus {
-	status := p.DeepCopy()
-	status.Freight = freight
-	return status
-}
-
 // +kubebuilder:object:root=true
 
 // PromotionList contains a list of Promotion
diff --git a/internal/controller/promotions/promotions.go b/internal/controller/promotions/promotions.go
index f8c5b9e1e..9f7312848 100644
--- a/internal/controller/promotions/promotions.go
+++ b/internal/controller/promotions/promotions.go
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ func (r *reconciler) promote(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	newStatus = newStatus.WithFreight(&nextFreight)
+	newStatus.Freight = &nextFreight
 
 	logger.Debugf("promotion %s", newStatus.Phase)