Gabby Thomas showed up to the ESPYs looking every bit the star she is. She was confident, she was stylish, and she was clearly having fun with it. But somewhere between the red carpet and the closing credits, things took a slight turn. One of those blink-and-you ’ll-miss-it moments that still leaves a few raised eyebrows. Not enough to dim her shine, but just enough to spark a few whispers on the timeline…
Wearing an asymmetrical white feather-trimmed dress designed by PatBo, Thomas embodied poise and performance. The one-shoulder cut and dramatic sleeve gave a tailored edge to her red carpet presence, while her strappy stilettos, with their midfoot wraps and elevated heel, completed the look with practiced elegance. Her appearance reflected the season she had just finished. Precise, bold, and unmissable. Thomas, who earned three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, came into the night as a standout nominee in the ‘Best Athlete – Women’s Sports’ category. Her supporters had expected recognition, if not an outright win.
What followed instead was a double blow. During the ceremony, when her name was announced among the nominees, it was misread as ‘Gabby Thompson.’ A mistake that did not go unnoticed. Viewers immediately took to social media, where frustration gathered momentum. Many regarded the misnaming as disrespectful, especially for an athlete who had dominated the track throughout the Olympic season. And that was not all.
The night became even more contentious when Simone Biles was declared the winner. Biles, who herself had a remarkable season with three Olympic golds in Paris, earned the trophy. But fans felt Gabby Thomas had been quietly pushed aside. The backlash intensified in the hours following the broadcast. Not only did viewers condemn the name error, but many also questioned the outcome of the award itself. Supporters argued that Thomas’s triple-gold performance had gone undervalued and that her broader achievements in women’s athletics this past year had been overlooked. And all of these frustrations piled up as the fans took to social media.
ESPYs blunder sparks outrage after Gabby Thomas called “Gabby Thompson” on live TV
As the incident gained traction, fans quickly flocked to the comments section and made their voices heard. Fans were stunned when Gabby Thomas, fresh off a historic Olympic season, was wrongly introduced as “Gabby Thompson” during the ESPYs. One user wrote, “Gabby ‘Thompson’? you mean Thomas?”, a sarcastic correction that underscored the absurdity of the moment. The public error on national television felt like a dismissal of her identity and status as a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
ESPN’s slip-up didn’t just misname her, it misrepresented her legacy. A tweet reading, “3x gold medalist Gabby Thomas, not Thompson, like they announced. it’s a disaster,” pointed out the magnitude of the disrespect. For a name to be botched despite her decorated season reflected a failure to recognize excellence, especially during an event meant to honor it.
Credits-Instagram/Gabby Thomas
Disbelief echoed across social platforms. One viewer plainly expressed, “I know they didn’t call Gabby Thomas ‘Gabby Thompson’ on the ESPYs,” highlighting how the error shocked fans. For supporters who anticipated a crowning moment, this on-air mistake turned a night of celebration into one of collective cringe.
Even amid the glitz, the ESPYs drew ire. An Instagram user tagged the show directly: “Dear #ESPYs, it’s gabby Thomas, not gabby thompson .” The use of the eye-roll emoji signaled frustration, not just over the mistake but over what many saw as casual negligence toward one of the night’s biggest nominees.
When Gelo’s performance was paired with the blunder involving Gabby, fans lost patience. One tweet said, “Gelo performing at the ESPYs and 3-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas being introduced as Gabby Thompson. This is a trainwreck.” It was a commentary not only on the misstep but on the production’s overall quality that night.
The disrespect felt amplified due to Thomas’s accomplishments. Another viewer posted, “There’s no way they just called three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas ‘Gabby Thompson’ at the ESPYS.” The stress on her Olympic credentials implied that such an error wasn’t just careless, it was outrageous given who she is.
For some, the gaffe exposed deeper cracks in the show’s preparation. One user questioned, “did they just saw gabby thompson instead of gabby thomas??? did they write and rehearse this entire show like yesterday?” Such a reaction emphasized how preventable the mistake was, and how it signaled a lack of seriousness in treating women’s achievements with due diligence. Thus, with things looking intense, it remains to be seen what happens next.
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