Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

US Paintball Player Cut From National Team After Saying Teen Needs A 'F**king Treadmill', Not Vaccine

US Paintball Player Cut From National Team After Saying Teen Needs A 'F**king Treadmill', Not Vaccine
@rX0rcist/TikTok

A professional paintballer has been cut from Team USA Paintball after posting a video on TikTok in which she body shamed a teenager hospitalized with Covid-19, which also resulted in her being banned from TikTok.

Jessica Maiolo posted a video to her TikTok page, responding to an ABC World News Tonight story, covering the rise in Covid-19 cases in America amidst the Delta variant, with a record number of children being admitted to hospitals.


The story interviewed 17-year-old high school football player David Espino, hospitalized with Covid and developing pneumonia.

David's mother, Marciela went on to tell ABC she regrets not getting her son vaccinated.

Maiolo took to TikTok and posted a video of herself in front of a paused frame of David lying in his hospital bed, his masked mother by his side.

Speaking directly to the camera, Maiolo declared:

"Ma'am, your kid does not need a Covid shot."
"Your kid needs a f'king treadmill, that's what he needs."

The video caught the attention of Savannah Sparks, a Mississippi based doctor of pharmacy, who has made it her mission to call out medical misinformation on TikTok.

Sparks posted a follow up-video to Maiolo's.

WARNING: NSFW language

@rx0rcist

And none for Gretchen Weiners bye! #getvaccinated #vaccinate #wearamask #covid19 #science #healthcare


In the video, Sparks calmly told Maiolo being a member of Team USA Paintball doesn't qualify her to "speak out on public health issues."

She went on to say she intended to keep messaging Team USA Paintball until Maiolo was removed from the team, stating:

"You are not a representation of this country. Get vaccinated."

Sparks response has now received over 4.5 million views and others were quick to respond.

Some applauded her for calling Maiolo out—a few even announcing they would join Sparks in contacting Team USA Paintball—while others simply expressed horror at Maiolo's words.

@rX0rcist/TikTok


@rX0rcist/TikTok


@rX0rcist/TikTok


@rX0rcist/TikTok


@rX0rcist/TikTok

Whether or not it was the result of Sparks helping Maiolo's insensitive remarks go viral is unclear.

But Team USA Paintball announced Maiolo was removed from the team "indefinitely" in a statement posted to their Facebook page.

"Team USA Paintball has no tolerance for discrimination or bullying of any kind."
"It has always been our highest priority to represent our country with integrity and respect."
"Our investigation into the troubling conduct of Ms. Maiolo has been concluded and we have decided to remover her from the team indefinitely."

As reported by Insider, Maiolo also found herself banned from TikTok, as a result of "multiple Community Guidelines violations."

In response to her dismissal and ban, not to mention the abundant backlash against her, Maiolo took to Instagram to issue an apology of sorts.

In a video reminiscent of a teleprompter screen, Maiolo said:

"What started out as me expressing my personal opinion about something I feel quite passionately about, has turned into a moment of regret for the situation I have put my teammates, our sponsors and the sport I love into."

She went on to say if she were to post the video now, she would "choose her words more carefully."

She also attempted to justify what exactly she meant by her "treadmill" remark.

"It was never my intention to shame any individual, my reaction to the story about the young boy actually comes from a place of deep fear that people believe they have little hope in the way of staying healthy and being in control of their own wellness.

She ended the video by claiming her teammates and sponsors were also targeted due to her poorchoices and made a plea for this to stop.

Maiolo disabled comments on her post, but Sparks shared it on her own Instagram page.

In addition to questioning whether or not Maiolo did, in fact, apologize, Sparks said in her caption:

"Leave healthcare to the professionals, and leave the bigotry altogether, or get used to this kind of backlash."

Spark's Instagram followers were equally confused as to whether or not Maiolo was sincere in her apology, or if there even was one.

@rX0rcist/Instagram


@rX0rcist/Instagram


@rX0rcist/Instagram


@rX0rcist/Instagram


@rX0rcist/Instagram

In what can only be described as a last ditch effort to save herself, Maiolo released a statement to Insider, claiming her "treadmill" statement about Espino was taken "out of context" and her initial post, which has since been deleted, also included a caption about healthy eating habits.

She did offer a more formal apology to Espino in a subsequent statement, though never addressing him by name, as well as anyone else who was "hurt" by her initial video.

"Bullying' was never my intention. I would also be grateful for the opportunity to apologize to this teenager and his family privately."

Sparks also made it clear to Insider in addition to contacting TeamUSA Paintball in response to Maiolo's video, she contacted her sponsors.

She never contacted Maiolo's teammates and does not condone threats.

More from Trending

Sabre; Nancy Mace
@bottleneckloser/Instagram, Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project

Trans Influencer Speaks Out After She's Randomly Targeted By Nancy Mace Online

A trans influencer fired back at MAGA Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina for mocking her about her trans identity on social media and subsequently making her vulnerable to attacks.

Sabre, whose Instagram handle is @bottleneckloser, posted a video stating that the lawmaker "bullied" her recently for being "hot on Twitter.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

YouTube Becomes Unlikely Hero After Play Button Is Perfectly Placed Over Musk's Face

Call it kismet or divine intervention, but sometimes the fates align to inadvertently create something wonderful.

Or hilarious.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk and Jim Jordan
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

GOP Account Hit With Blunt Reminder After Shaming Dems For Celebrating Tesla's Downfall

Minnesota Democratic Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz joined many Americans in a bit of schadenfreude regarding White House advisor Elon Musk’s recent reversal of fortune.

Musk, the self-described leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has seen protests against his actions on behalf of Republican President Donald Trump. Part of those protests include Tesla owners getting rid of their vehicles, buyers boycotting the brand, and stockholders dumping their shares.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Zegler
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/GettyImages

Rachel Zegler Claims 'White Executives' Questioned Her Latina Heritage During 'West Side Story' Casting

Actor Rachel Zegler claimed that skeptical producers questioned her Latina heritage during the casting process for the 2021 West Side Story remake directed by Steven Spielberg.

In the remake of the classic 1961 film adaptation, Zegler starred opposite Ansel Elgort as the star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Hilariously Melts Down Over Awful Portrait Of Him Hanging In CO State Capitol—And People Can't Stop Trolling Him

People can't help but troll President Donald Trump after he complained about a truly awful portrait of him hanging in the Colorado State Capitol building.

On Sunday night, Trump lashed out against Colorado Governor Jared Polis for hanging what he called a "purposefully distorted" portrait of him in the Colorado State Capitol building.

Keep ReadingShow less