Fashion influencer Morgan Riddle, girlfriend of professional tennis player Taylor Fritz, shared her distressing experience of facing harassment from male football fans during the Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas. Riddle took to Instagram Stories to detail the “extremely stressful and scary” encounters she had with male spectators attending the Super Bowl in person.
In her posts, Riddle revealed that the harassment included being grabbed, groped, harassed, and catcalled incessantly, occurring every few minutes when she was in public spaces. The situation became so overwhelming for Riddle that she had a panic attack and spent the entire third quarter of the game in the stadium bathroom.
“We couldn’t even enjoy the game without getting bothered by drunk, rude, gross male fans.” – Morgan Riddle’s rough night at Super Bowl
Despite being a regular attendee at Fritz’s tennis matches, Riddle expressed that the harassment at the Super Bowl surpassed anything she had experienced at tennis events. She lamented that the group couldn’t enjoy the game as she said “We couldn’t even enjoy the game without getting bothered by drunk, rude, gross male fans.”
it’s wild how many educated ppl are just ignoring the usa’s rising trend of socially acceptable misogyny and harassment. here’s posts from morgan riddle, us tennis player taylor fritz’s girlfriend, about her super bowl experience pic.twitter.com/79LI2Nv8EO
— madison (@altmadaf) February 12, 2024
One particularly disturbing incident involved a man attempting to use his young son as “vehicle to hit on” Riddle and her friends. Riddle was shocked when the child tried to call out his own father, leading her to question the cycle of behavior that contributes to young boys growing into obnoxious men.
Riddle’s account sheds light on the pervasive issue of harassment and sexism faced by women at male-dominated sporting events. Her experience at the Super Bowl highlights the challenges women encounter, even in environments where they are accustomed to attending events with predominantly male audiences.
The incident also raises broader concerns about the NFL’s track record in addressing sexism, with longstanding accusations involving domestic violence by players and lawsuits from former female employees. The criticism extends beyond individual incidents, as fans have previously complained about the presence of pop star Taylor Swift during the Super Bowl, suggesting that her appearance detracted from the game.
In her concluding remarks, Riddle emphasized the gravity of the words and actions of the male fans, expressing a hope that any man reading her account would understand the impact of their behavior. Her message underscores the importance of fostering a respectful and inclusive atmosphere for all attendees, regardless of gender, at major sporting events like the Super Bowl.
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