If there’s one thing women know, it’s that gut feeling when something’s off. But what happens when someone’s not just feeling it, but the toxic fan brags about it? That’s exactly what went down with Gabby Thomas last week in Philly. She was out there competing at the 2025 Grand Slam Track, with a chance to walk away with $100,000. But the biggest battle she faced wasn’t on the track. For Gabby, it wasn’t just the competition that knocked her off; it was a heckler whose nasty behavior distracted her so badly that it cost her that $100,000 paycheck. Yeah, you read that right. Off-track drama turned into a costly loss. So, what happened?
On May 31, Gabby Thomas ran a solid 22.10 seconds in the 200 meters, a great time, but just a hair behind Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s winning 21.99 seconds. Ouch, that was Gabby’s first loss of the meet. But did that stop her? Not at all. The very next day, she hit the line in the 100 meters with an 11.16 finish, good enough for fourth place. Meanwhile, Jefferson-Wooden blew everyone away, smashing the meet record with a jaw-dropping 10.73 seconds.
Now, while this was another tough loss for the reigning Olympic gold medalist, the real challenge wasn’t bouncing back from this. No, instead, as revealed by her on X, a man at the track was harassing her. But this wasn’t just casual heckling. No, this guy followed her while she signed autographs for fans (mostly kids) and shouted personal insults.
He even posted a video online boasting, “I made Gabby lose by heckling her, and it made my parlay win,” with audible taunts like, “Don’t choke like you did yesterday.” Using harassment as a way to gloat over a betting win? That’s a whole new low. And when FanDuel, the online sportsbook where the man placed his bet, came to know about this, they acted fast and banned him. And now it’s Gabby’s turn again!
I personally have no issue with normal heckling…but if you record yourself breaking a rule, post it online, and there are consequences, I can’t help you I do draw a line with harassment and hate speech on my family.
— Gabby Thomas (@itsgabbyt) June 5, 2025
Gabby Thomas herself responded with a mix of humor: “I personally have no issue with normal heckling… but if you record yourself breaking a rule, post it online, and there are consequences, I can’t help you I do draw a line with harassment and hate speech on my family.”
Her words underline a vital point that, while athletes expect some trash talk, harassment and hate speech, especially when aimed at family, are unacceptable. But what did the fan say about her family?? And sadly, this isn’t the first time Gabby has faced such abuse this year.
Gabby Thomas speaks out on threats to her safety
The man, known online as “Mr100Kaday,” claimed his heckling caused Gabby Thomas to lose, which he then bragged helped him win a $1,000 parlay bet. Beyond the insults, he crossed the line by making racially charged remarks about Thomas’s fiancé, Spencer McManes, who is white. In a defiant YouTube video, the heckler denied Thomas’s accusations and went as far as calling her a “liar” and a “Karen.”
Thomas didn’t hold back in response; she called him a “weirdo” and condemned anyone who supports such toxic behavior online. While she understands some heckling comes with the territory, being stalked and followed around the stadium was completely unacceptable. Earlier this year, Thomas opened up on TikTok about a frightening pattern of harassment where groups of middle-aged men stalked her at airports across the country, including Chicago, Miami, and more.
Credits: Imago
“They know the airport, day, time, gate, everything!!! Who do I report them to?” she pleaded on X. These men showed up armed with stacks of photos, aggressively demanding autographs, and things escalated when she refused. What’s even more alarming is that they seemed to have access to her flight details, even when Gabby Thomas didn’t know them herself.
“I don’t know if they’re hacking me or if someone at the airport is tipping them off,” she revealed. The experience forced her to change email passwords and seriously question her safety, because this goes way beyond uncomfortable; it’s downright dangerous.
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