SUNI LEE REACTS TO CRITICISM AFTER VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION SHOWDEBUT
Photo Credit: Gety Images
The hate is being counterbalanced by Suni Lee. After making her debut at the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the Olympic gymnast responded to her detractors by releasing a video on social media asking people to stop disparaging her online.
In an Oct. 18 TikTok, she lip-synced to Ariana Grande's song "Successful," saying, "Yeah, it feels so good to be so young." "And have this fun and be successful, yeah / I'm so successful, yeah."
Suni made her point even clearer by captioning the video, "Can you guys stop bullying me?"
Under the video, the 22-year-old double-tapped a number of encouraging remarks, one of which was posted by Ming Lee Simmons and read, "Who's bullying you?! One fan said, "You were on the runway, and they were mad and at HOME," while another said, "I won't allow it."
In response to a user who asked, "Why are people bullying you because of your height?" The two-time Olympic gold medalist added, "You can't control that, bro," to which Suni replied, "Like literally."
The athlete had previously talked candidly about the significance of her participation in the renowned fashion show.
"Stepping into something like the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show felt like a dream outside of my comfort zone," she told Marie Claire in an interview that was released on October 16. "But that's exactly why I said yes."
"Growing up, I didn’t see many girls who looked like me in spaces like this," Suni said. "It feels strong to be here now as an athlete who has put in a lot of effort to fulfill her goals. I want young girls to understand that they are not limited to a single category. You can be a woman and still strive for Olympic gold.
She continued by disclosing that she didn't have much of a heads-up that she would be appearing in the Victoria's Secret show, which ultimately ended up being a blessing in disguise for her.
"Honestly, I didn’t have much time to prepare for this, and that was probably for the best," Suni said. "It allowed me to show up here exactly as I am. Just me, not trying to be something I’m not."
