Olympian: I can’t pay my rent. Flavor Flav: “I gotchu”
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Women's discus throw begins at 12:55pm ET today with Group A, followed by Group B at 2:20pm. It will be broadcast on USA Network and Peacock. Fraley will throw in Group B. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Veronica Fraley is an Olympian who says she can't afford her rent. But after a viral post about her situation this week, several big names lined up to help, including rapper Flavor Flav.
What she's saying: "I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can't even pay my rent 😒 my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven't won anything 😂) enough to buy new cars and houses 👎🏾 👎🏾👎🏾," Fraley posted on X Thursday.
Catch up quick: The Raleigh native is a graduate student at Vanderbilt, pursuing her second master's degree. She's competing in the discus throw in her first Olympics appearance.
State of play: Fraley's post had garnered more than 11 million views on X as of Thursday afternoon, and it attracted the attention of Flavor Flav, who said he would cover the difference in her rent.
- "I'll send payment TODAY so you don't have to worry about it TOMORROW," the rapper posted. He followed through, according to subsequent a post.
- Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder, also responded, posting a screenshot of $7,760 sent to Fraley.
Zoom out: Flavor Flav became the "hype man" for the Team USA men's and women's water polo squads when he signed a five-year sponsorship deal last month to support the athletes both financially and in-person.
Between the lines: Fraley, who went to Wakefield High in Raleigh, posted a follow-up note to take the heat off of Vanderbilt: "Thanks for the supporting messages but I want to clarify my irritation isn't with the school itself, mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I'm WORTH as a collegiate athlete such as NIL which favors popularity over performance. that's all I'm sayin. Wish me luck tm!" Fraley posted.
- In a statement, Vanderbilt said it provided Fraley "with the maximum financial aid consistent with NCAA regulations" and that the University helps students navigate NIL.
The big picture: Fraley isn't alone in her financial frustration.
- Track and field will be the first sport to pay gold medalists, as Axios' Maxwell Millington reported. Some countries do pay medal bonuses during the Games, CNBC reports, but many athletes rely on prize money from competitions, appearance fees or sponsorships.
- Some athletes turned to Fan Fund on Grandstand, a platform designed to bring monetary support to Olympians. Fraley has started a GoFundMe.
- People like Flavor Flav, Ohanian and businesswoman Michele Kang are stepping into change the narrative. Kang, who owns NWSL team Washington Spirit, will donate $4 million to Team USA women's rugby sevens over the next four years.
What's next: Women's discus throw begins at 12:55pm ET on Friday, Aug. 2 with Group A, followed by Group B at 2:20pm. It will be broadcast on USA Network and Peacock. Fraley will throw in Group B.
- The final is 2:30pm ET Monday, Aug. 5. It will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Find the full schedule here.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Vanderbilt.