Sha’Carri Richardson, who was denied a chance at achieving her Olympic dreams after testing positive for cannabis and garnered widespread support, is receiving new backlash after posting what seemed to be shade toward fellow runner Allyson Felix. Felix, who became the most decorated American track athlete of all time during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, voiced support for Richardson during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. An Instagram Story post by Richardson, however, appeared to dismiss that support, which led to an uproar online.
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Sha’Carri Richardson Sparks Backlash Following Apparent Allyson Felix Diss
Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had Allyson Felix on his show recently, and, naturally, the comedian asked the Olympic sprinter about fellow star sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson. The 21-year-old athlete had been handed a one-month suspension from the sport after testing positive for marijuana, which caused her to miss the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Richardson explained that it had been a poor choice following the death of her biological mother and garnered much support and criticism. She also scored an endorsement deal with Beats by Dre.
Felix answered Kimmel’s question with a great deal of empathy and support for Richardson, replying, “I know that she’s obviously been through so much, and so I hope that she’s just supported.” Felix, who has won 11 medals over her Olympic career, continued, “I hope people rally around her. Obviously, she has a great personality, and she’s brought a lot of attention to the sport. I think she’ll be in the sport for a very long time.”
Richardson’s Instagram Story Goes Viral For All The Wrong Reasons
Though Felix’s comments were kind, Richardson appeared to dismiss them via her Instagram Stories. Richardson shared a looping video of herself wearing a pink baseball cap while sitting in a car with the caption, “Encouraging words on tv shows are just as real as well nothing at all.” Many took this as a dig against Felix and the reaction was not positive towards Richardson, to say the least.
Some of the reactions were humorous in nature and definitely used Twitter’s wealth of gifs and viral video clips to its full potential.
Naturally, many tried to imagine Felix’s reaction to Richardson’s post, especially after she took the time to try to uplift and encourage the younger runner.
One Twitter user in particular had an interesting message aimed to those closest to Richardson, a message the sprinter would do well to heed.
It seems odd that Richardson would react negatively to what appeared to be an honest message of support from a veteran in her field. Richardson would probably be better off turning to Felix for mentorship and advice rather than dismissing her encouragement offhand.