Life after the 2026 Winter Olympics has been a whirlwind for Alysa Liu. After winning two gold medals in Milan, she quickly became a global star. But with all that fame came new challenges. Right after she returned from the Games, fans crowded the airport, each one trying to get her attention. Just when she thought she’d handled one overwhelming moment, another cropped up. But this time, Liu met it with charm.

During her recent post-Olympic media tour in New York City, Liu’s schedule was packed with press stops, magazine shoots, and TV appearances. But there came one moment, when she leaned against a marble lobby wall, tired of being watched yet laughing at the absurdity of it all. Cameras clicked as she slipped into a black SUV with tinted windows, shielding her from the crowd.

“What kind of PR is that?” one photographer shouted. Another yelled, “Go back to L.A.!” Alysa Liu smiled and corrected him, saying, “First of all, I’m from Oakland.”

Even amid the chaos, she maintained her calmness. “I’m being mocked for not being thirsty. What the hell?” she thought, staring out the car window as the SUV made its way to Midtown.

Her planned skate at The Rink at Rockefeller Center had been canceled by slushy rain, but the photo shoot with W Magazine and other media events happened indoors. Interestingly, one of the things that made Alysa Liu so strong during such moments was what she had been through before.

This particular media frenzy came just days after she returned to the United States from the Milan Cortina Olympics on March 4, 2026. On Instagram, she shared that fans and photographers were waiting for her at the airport, cameras in hand, seeking autographs.

In her own words: “So I land at the airport, & there’s a crowd waiting at the exit with cameras & things for me to sign. All up in my personal space.”

Alysa Liu added that someone even chased her to her car: “Someone chased me to my car bruh. Please do not do that to me.” with a crying face emoji.

Liu admitted that she was still adjusting to fame and that the experience had been overwhelming, even as she expressed gratitude for her supporters. She didn’t lash out at her fans but asked for respect and space. Her message was simple and direct: “Please do not do that to me.” Even before that, she had faced a similar incident.

Back in 2022, during the Beijing Olympics, Alysa Liu, then 16, was followed by a stranger who approached her late one night at a cafeteria after the free skate event. However, such incidents aren’t unique to Liu.

Fame put not only Alysa Liu but Gabby Thomas, Olivia Dunne, and more at risk

Intrusive fan behavior is common among high-profile athletes. Gabby Thomas, an Olympic track star, recounted that in the aftermath of the Paris Olympics, she was stalked by a group of men in various airports throughout the U.S., and even appeared when she had not provided travel information. As she explained:

“I need some advice right now because I fear that I’m being stalked and I genuinely don’t know what to do…They’ve come when I was traveling to and from Chicago, they’ve come when I was traveling to and from Miami. And they have my flight information….It doesn’t matter what city… they’ll show up and harass me if I say no.”

Thomas added that the men sometimes became aggressive and hostile when she refused autographs, making her afraid to travel alone.

Even social media star and athlete Olivia Dunne has spoken publicly about similar frightening experiences at airports. In a video, she described groups of men who track her flights and show up in unexpected locations to demand autographs:

“I fear that I’m being stalked and I don’t know what to do. It’s gotten to the point that every single time I go to the airport, there’s at least 10 middle‑aged men waiting for me and they harass me. They will run after me down the TSA pre‑check line and yell at me if I don’t give them my autograph.” But the issue isn’t limited to Thomas and Dunne.

Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee have faced similar invasive fan behavior. In public comments on Thomas’ post, both acknowledged that such experiences happen to them as well. Over time, each has learned to manage the fame and attention that come with success. And Alysa Liu seems to be doing a good job of that, too. What do you think? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below.