Adam Rippon says he received death threats for competing in Winter Olympics
The figure skater opened up about the backlash he received for competing in the event
Adam Rippon has revealed he received death threats for being an openly gay Winter Olympian.
The 28-year-old, who recently went public with Finnish boyfriend Jussi-Pekka Kajaala, won hearts after becoming the first openly gay US male athlete to win a Winter Olympic medal in South Korea earlier this year and for his bromance relationship with fellow gay Olympian Gus Kenworthy.
Appearing on iHeartRadio’s Domenick Nati Show on Wednesday (April 4), Rippon revealed how he had received death threats for competing in the event.
When asked whether he had received any backlash for competing, Rippon said: “I mean, yeah, I did. I received all sorts of threats. I received all sorts of negative comments and emails.”
The figure skater then said the negative comments “didn’t matter”: “You know 99% of the things that people send you that are negative, you’ll never see those people and they don’t matter and they honestly spent time to find you to write a message.”
He added: “They have a lot of time and I’m going to tell you I wish I had that much time to waste, but I don’t.”
Rippon, who’s rumoured to have signed up for the latest series of Dancing with the Stars, was also asked whether he’d consider appearing on the reality TV show.
He responded: “If the opportunity for Dancing with the Stars did arise I would definitely consider it.
“I do have to say that I would be nervous because I’ve never performed with a partner before and it would be something that would really push me outside of my comfort zone but I’m always up for a good challenge.”