Flavor Flav is a co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted legendary rap group Public Enemy. He later gained reality TV fame as the star of the VH1 dating show Flavor of Love.
But in recent years, Flavor Flav has been best known in pop culture as an enthusiastic hype man for Team USA at the Olympics, especially the often overlooked teams. For the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, he sponsored the entire women's water polo team.
That year, Flavor Flav signed a five-year deal with USA Water Polo to support the team. For the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, he expanded his support to the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams.
Now he's invited the Team USA women's gold medal-winning hockey team, and the bobsled and skeleton teams he sponsored, to Las Vegas for a "real celebration."
The invite was issued in response to a call never made by MAGA Republican President Donald Trump to congratulate the women's team on their victory. And for the call Trump did make to the USA men's hockey team as they drank Mexican beers and celebrated their gold medal with FBI director Kash Patel in their locker room.
During the call, Trump invited the men to be his guests at the State of the Union and at the White House.
But then Trump added, to raucous laughter of Patel and the men:
"I must tell you, we are going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that. I do believe I would probably be impeached [if I didn't invite them]."
In response to the double slight by Trump, Flavor Flav posted on X:
"If the USA Women’s Hockey team wants a real celebration and invite ,,, I’ll host them in Las Vegas. Do some nice dinners and shows and good times. I’m sure I can get a hotel and airline to help me out here and celebrate these women for real for real."
The Trump shade was palpable.
Flav quickly added:
"But I gots to invite my Bobsled + Skeleton team too"
The Olympics enthusiast later shared his official invitation sent by his team to Doug Ferry, hockey operations and event manager for the U.S. Women's National Program.
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On his Instagram stories, the rapper turned philanthropist shared several posts by his friends and that spelled out exactly why his invitation was sent.
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His assistant, Gabi Geiger, posted:
"If the president doesn't care about women's sports someone has to. [Flavor Flav does!"
Sportscaster Mike Bauer posted:
"My guy [Flavor Flav] is a REAL ONE for this after the insulting locker room call heard 'round the [USA]"
Gold medal-winning bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor—who the rapper sponsored—wrote:
"[Flavor Flav] always supporting women in sports"
Sportscaster Kylen Mills shared:
"[Flavor Flav] coming through again! USA women's hockey deserved to be celebrated"
And Team USA 2024 Olympic water polo's Maggie Steffens shared the news of the invite with Flavor Flav' signature, "YAAAAAA BOOOOOYYYYY."
Vegas was quick to roll out the red carpet.
Alaska Airlines was on board for flights.
And StubHub offered to help secure tickets to shows.
The White House later extended an official invitation to the women's team for the State of the Union.
The Team USA representative's official response was:
"We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold-medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement."
"Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate."
Flavor Flav stated in a comment on Instagram that his invitation had been accepted.
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But Team USA hockey hasn't made an official announcement as of this writing.
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