{"id":47378,"date":"2025-10-31T13:15:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=47378"},"modified":"2025-10-31T13:15:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:15:24","slug":"olympic-champion-suni-lee-responds-to-bullying-after-her-victorias-secret-runway-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2025\/10\/olympic-champion-suni-lee-responds-to-bullying-after-her-victorias-secret-runway-debut.html","title":{"rendered":"Olympic Champion Suni Lee Responds to ‘Bullying’ After Her Victoria\u2019s Secret Runway Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Left: Ocoudis \/ commons.wikimedia.org | Right: Victoria’s Secret \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee isn\u2019t letting the critics get her down. The 22-year-old gymnast made her Victoria\u2019s Secret Fashion Show debut on Oct. 15, and while the experience was a dream come true, it also came with some unexpected online negativity.<\/p>\n

After walking the runway alongside WNBA star Angel Reese and iconic models like Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima, Lee took to TikTok to address the backlash she\u2019s received since the event. Posting a short video on Oct. 18 of herself lip-syncing to Ariana Grande\u2019s \u201cSuccessful,\u201d she captioned it, \u201cCan u guys stop bullying me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans quickly flooded the comments to defend her, calling out the unfair criticism\u2014especially those targeting her height. One supportive commenter wrote, \u201cGirl I got your back. Why are people bullying you because of your height, like u can\u2019t control that bro.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee, who stands 5\u20320\u2033, replied simply but powerfully: \u201cLike, literally.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also liked several messages that celebrated her big moment, including one that said, \u201cYou were on the runway and they were mad and at HOME.\u201d Lee later added her own heartfelt comment: \u201ci love yall ?? my girls ??.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the criticism, Lee is proud of stepping out of her comfort zone. In an interview with Marie Claire<\/em> ahead of the show, she shared how meaningful it was to represent women who look like her. \u201cStepping into something like the Victoria\u2019s Secret Fashion Show felt like a dream outside of my comfort zone,\u201d she said. \u201cBut that\u2019s exactly why I said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on to explain, \u201cGrowing up, I didn\u2019t see many girls who looked like me in spaces like this. To now be here as an athlete, as someone who\u2019s worked so hard to achieve her dreams, it feels powerful. I want young girls to know they don\u2019t have to fit into just one box. You can chase Olympic gold and still own your femininity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee strutted down the runway in the Victoria\u2019s Secret Pink section wearing a hot-pink sports bra, micro shorts, and glittery slingback heels. The segment also featured models Barbie Ferreira, Iris Law, and Lila Moss, with a live performance by K-Pop group TWICE.<\/p>\n

The gymnast said the experience was both thrilling and transformative. \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ve really taken a break from gymnastics, so diving into something other than that has been really, really different. But, also, probably the best experience of my life,\u201d she shared in a previous interview.<\/p>\n

While the comments section may have had its share of negativity, Lee\u2019s confidence and grace under pressure continue to shine. She\u2019s not only proving that strength and beauty can coexist but also reminding young women everywhere that their worth isn\u2019t defined by the opinions of others.<\/p>\n

As she put it best: she\u2019s \u201csuccessful\u201d\u2014and no amount of online bullying can change that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee isn\u2019t letting the critics get her down. The 22-year-old gymnast made her Victoria\u2019s Secret Fashion Show debut on Oct. 15, and while the experience was a dream come true, it also came with some unexpected online negativity. After walking the runway alongside WNBA star Angel Reese and iconic models like…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":47381,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nOlympic Champion Suni Lee Responds to 'Bullying' After Her Victoria\u2019s Secret Runway Debut<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Suni Lee is asking critics to \u201cstop bullying\u201d her after being cruelly mocked over her height during her debut appearance on the runway.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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