Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Thomas Alleges Group of Male Stalkers are Following Her Through Airport Amid MAGA Harassment Online

Just days after Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas faced backlash online for posting a photo from the WNBA’s 3×3 Unrivaled league in Miami, the track star revealed on TikTok that she is being stalked by a small group of men.

She revealed in a video disturbing details about an ongoing stalking situation that has left her feeling unsafe during her travels.

“I fear that I’m being stalked and I genuinely don’t know what to do or who to go to at this point,” Thomas said in the clip.

She described being repeatedly confronted by a group of three to six middle-aged men who appear to have access to her private flight information and track her movements across multiple cities, including Chicago and Miami.

“They show up either at the front door of the airport, at the correct concourse, or they show up at my gate which means they have flight tickets and they get past security,” the athlete explained.

The harassment centers around these strange stans aggressively demanding Thomas sign a bunch of photographs of herself, as many as 40 images at a time, which she suspects are being sold. That’s not an issue for her. What particularly alarms track star is their ability to obtain her flight details even when she hasn’t shared this information with anyone.

“I don’t even know what time I’m flying out sometimes. I don’t tell anyone my flight information. I’ve changed all my email passwords,” she stated, expressing confusion and concern about how they’re accessing her travel plans.

The situation has become increasingly concerning as the men have displayed “hostile” behavior when she refuses their demands.

“They get really aggressive and hostile if I say no, and when I’m by myself it’s really scary.” Thomas shared.

Tennis player Coco Gauff chimed in under her video, writing, “This happens to me too, I don’t know how it happens. My theory is maybe someone at the airport tips them off.”

“No same, I’m horrified of them… happens too often. I take pictures of them just incase,” Simone Biles echoed in her comment section.

Some fans on The Jasmine Brand’s Instagram weighed in on her dilemma.

“She need a security detail. Don’t travel alone. Unfortunate we live in a time where people are on the attack and you must take safety steps,” one person said.

Another added, “She should go to the FBI & get a bodyguard.”

A third person speculated, “Sounds like her team is leaking the information.”

This comes after MAGA-aligned users flooded her posts with outrage, questioning the legitimacy of her Harvard degree.

Thomas shared a courtside photo on Instagram on Saturday, Jan. 25, with the caption “Came for the talent, stayed for the vibes #unrivaled.” 

What started as a simple flex at a game escalated when one X user tweeted, “Gabby Thomas doesn’t sound like she’s the brightest out there.” 

The track star clapped back, “You’re probably right, darn my Harvard degree.”

You’re probably right 🤷🏽‍♀️ 😂 darn my Harvard degree https://t.co/9znBQ0sY2q

— Gabby Thomas (@itsgabbyt) January 26, 2025

The situation got darker the next day when Thomas exposed the anti-Black undertones of the backlash. 

“Today, on Jan 26, 2025, there are hundreds of people commenting on my Twitter page that specifically because I am Black, they must assume I did not earn my admission into Harvard nor did I earn my diploma. Is this real life??” she wrote.

Today, on Jan 26, 2025, there are hundreds of people commenting on my Twitter page that specifically because I am black, they must assume I did not earn my admission into Harvard nor did I earn my diploma. Is this real life??

— Gabby Thomas (@itsgabbyt) January 27, 2025

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, husband of fellow Olympian Serena Williams, quickly came to Thomas’ defense, dismissing the offenders with a succinct “Clowns, not people.”

Another person added under his tweet, “With the DEI out the window, every non white hiring will be perceived as DEI hire, so, the employer will stop looking beyond the next white guy they find. Welcome to the great 50s and 60s.”

With the DEI out the window, every non white hiring will be perceived as DEI hire, so, the employer will stop looking beyond the next white guy they find. Welcome to the great 50s and 60s.

— Mr. Kay (@kkdas2) January 27, 2025

What the trolls didn’t realize is that Gabby Thomas’ academic record is extraordinary. A 2019 Harvard graduate with a degree in neurobiology and global health, she later earned a master’s in epidemiology from the University of Texas. 

At Harvard, she set eight university records in women’s track, excelling in neuroscience and global health policy, the school’s website boasts.

A statement from Harvard’s neuroscience department celebrated Thomas’ Olympic achievements, with her former adviser Ryan Draft sharing, “It was thrilling to watch Gabby take the gold and be celebrated by the world this Olympics.”

“To see a person excel at the highest level in academics and athletics is truly unbelievable,” Draft continued. “We in Neuroscience are proud, and we can’t wait to follow her next victory in sports and her budding career.”

This month she shared how she balanced school and track as a student by prioritizing both in her life.

She also revealed that while she ran varsity at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts, she wasn’t in love with the sport.

“I fell in love with running probably in college,” she said in an interview with YouTuber and runner Kate Mackz. 

Adding, “In college, I dealt with a lot of failures and a lot of setbacks and things that I didn’t have to deal with in high school or in grade school. I feel like things came a little bit easier to me.” 

The challenge of the Ivy League school, both academically and on the track, allowed her to tap into the resilient spirit that allowed her to bounce back from a 2022 hamstring injury to win big in Paris.

“Those failures really made me grow and look inside myself,” Thomas recalled, adding, “Then, I realized… I’m going to do this and I’m going to get better and I’m going to be a better athlete and a better person.” 

Her mother, Dr. Jennifer Randall, told her that if she worked hard and excelled in school, she could accomplish anything. 

“Education was a way to level the playing field, so that’s kind of how I have tackled everything in my entire life,” Thomas said to Olympics.com.

The 28-year-old, who is a part of the 6 percent of Black athletes at Ivy Leagues, continues to use her degrees to help others, even while preparing to represent her country at the world’s largest sporting event.

Thomas’ Olympic performance in Paris was spectacular, securing gold medals in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.83 seconds, the 4×100 meter relay, and the 4×400 meter relay. 

This achievement made her the fifth woman in history to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics, adding to her previous bronze medal from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and silver medal from the 2023 World Championships.

The onslaught on Thomas’ achievements highlight ongoing prejudices faced by accomplished Black people, who have excelled in spaces traditionally occupied by whites. Having allies like Ohanian, who has long championed Black women in sports, is helpful when shutting down mindless haters who think skin color actually defines academic excellence.