Drake, Cardi B, More React to Sha’Carri Richardson’s Olympics Suspension
Written by SOURCE on July 3, 2021
Some of entertainment’s biggest stars are showing solidarity with Sha’Carri Richardson.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced it had suspended the Team USA sprinter for one month after she tested positive for THC. The ruling meant Richardson would be prohibited from competing in the Olympics’ 100-meter dash, an event she completely dominated during last month’s trials. The 21-year-old athlete apologized for violating the rules, and explained she had used marijuana to help her cope with the death of her biological mother.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” she said during a Friday appearance on the Today show. “I know what I did and what I’m not supposed to do. I know what I’m not allowed to do and I still made that decision. Not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my case, but being in that position of my life and finding out something like that—something that I would say has impacted my life positively and negatively in my life when it comes to dealing with the relationship with my mother—that definitely was a heavy topic on me.”
The 30-day suspension ignited widespread outrage, as well as a debate about whether marijuana should be included on the list of banned substances alongside performance-enhancement drugs. Film, music, and sports stars took to social media this weekend to express their support for Richardson; some of those celebrities, which included Drake, Seth Rogen, Cardi B, and Snoop Dogg, also used the opportunity to slam the USADA’s decision, and called on the agency to ditch the marijuana ban, as societal views on the substance have drastically shifted.
You can read some of the messages—posted by the aforementioned celebrities—below.
