Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Olympic Champ Suni Lee Says She Was Pepper-Sprayed And Called Racial Slurs In Recent Attack

Olympic Champ Suni Lee Says She Was Pepper-Sprayed And Called Racial Slurs In Recent Attack
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/GetttyImages

American Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee said she was pepper-sprayed in a racist attack while waiting for an Uber in Los Angeles, where she is currently competing in Dancing with the Stars.

Lee, who is Hmong Asian American, was waiting with her group of friends—also of Asian descent—when a car sped by and the passengers inside allegedly hurled racial slurs like "ching chong" at the group.




Lee also said the people in the car told them to "go back to where they came from" according to an interview in Pop Sugar.



But before the car took off, Lee said one of the passengers sprayed her arm with pepper spray.



The 18-year-old said of the incident which took place in October:

"I was so mad, but there was nothing I could do or control because they skirted off."
"I didn't do anything to them, and having the reputation, it's so hard because I didn't want to do anything that could get me into trouble. I just let it happen."




What she did do following the racist attack was call her longtime coach, Jess Graba.

Lee said she will be taking a break once her stint on the dance competition reality show is over.

"When I shared that I was feeling down, so many people reached out and either sent positive messages of encouragement or told me they were feeling similarly and not to feel alone."
"It's OK to feel down sometimes, but what I've realized is that it's important to express your feelings and ask for help."
"In the past, I might have pushed on and not acknowledged the state of my mental health. But there's so much power in owning your feelings. It's not weakness, it's actually taking control."

Racially-motivated attacks towards Asians have spiked during the pandemic with many of the perpetrators erroneously blaming Asian people for COVID-19.




The nature of the hate crimes includes threats, verbal assault, property damage and physical violence.

A report by Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition tracking racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, showed there were at least 4,533 AAPI hate crime incidents in the first six months of this year.

More from Trending

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lynda Carter; Screenshot of Donald Trump
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images; Newsmax

Lynda Carter Hilariously Channels Wonder Woman In Response To Trump's Claim About 'Undetectable' Planes

After President Donald Trump touted the U.S. military's "stealth" planes that he described as "undetectable," Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter responded to his claim with a funny quip sure to delight fans of her iconic character.

Earlier, Trump boasted about the military's capabilities in remarks to reporters in the Oval Office amid heightened concerns about the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict that is sending shockwaves throughout the Middle East and around the world:

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less