This weekend, a hateful comment about Johnny Weir's Olympic closing ceremony outfit turned into an opportunity for the figure skater and sports commentator to share some necessary advice about criticizing others. On Sunday, Aug. 8, Weir shared a photo of his outfit for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Games on social media. In response, one Twitter user made an offensive comment about "actual men" and "Biblical masculinity." Instead of letting the comment go, Weir decided to respond with positivity about his own life experience and a reminder about spreading hate.
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Weir was in Japan to cover the Tokyo Olympics.
Rena Schild / Shutterstock.comWeir teamed up with fellow figure skater Tara Lipinski once again to cover the Olympics for NBC. The two became a correspondent duo following their own competitive careers. Among other figure skating events, they've previously worked on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics and the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. On Sunday, Weir, Lipinski, and sports commentator Terry Gannon hosted the closing ceremony coverage for NBC.
Weir shared many of his looks from his time in Tokyo.
Weir and Lipinski aren't just about the commentating—they're also about the fashion. In an interview with NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth at the start of the games, Weir said he brought 13 suitcases with him while Lipinski brought nine. "He has more material," Lipkinski said, pointing to Weir's structural outfit.
Weir posted many of his Olympics ensembles on social media, but it was his closing ceremony look that prompted the negative comment he responded to. At the closing ceremony, Weir wore white boots, white flowing pants, and a white, partially sheer blazer. He paired the look with an updo and a sparkly Olympic rings hair accessory.
A Twitter user criticized and politicized his appearance.
Twitter user Jenna Ellis, a lawyer known for being a member of Donald Trump's 2020 campaign legal team, posted a screenshot of Weir from the NBC broadcast and wrote, "#WokeOlympics closing ceremony clown. How appropriate and utterly embarrassing."
She then retweeted Weir's outfit share, adding, "Bring back the days when boys cared about growing up to be actual men. Biblical masculinity over woke fragility."
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Weir responded at length.
Responding to Ellis, Weir wrote, "The man I’ve grown into is a human that embraces the strength of the man & woman who raised me to be myself. If you feel squashed by the boot of someone else’s beliefs, remember you are free to live your life the way YOU believe. Also, religion isn’t an excuse for hate."
Ellis then responded again, referencing a quote from the Bible and writing, "Eventually, Johnny, you’ll have to answer to God for your choices & beliefs. Choose truth & Jesus."
Weir's outfit went over well with many fans, however.
Weir responded to the insult regarding his appearance at the closing ceremony, but he also responded to some positive comments and goodnatured jokes he received about his look. He reposted an image of him photoshopped into one of the Hunger Games movies. He also reposted comedian Leslie Jones' enthusiastic commentary about his outfit. On Instagram, Weir received a lot of compliments about his Olympic rings hair accessory in particular.
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