Gabby Thomas has never been one to let outside noise define her career, and she has always made sure to speak up when anyone crosses the line. Back in 2025, she faced a disturbing moment at the GST meet when a male bettor repeatedly heckled her during competition. After the man later celebrated online, Thomas called out the behavior, “Anybody who enables him online is gross.” Now, once again, she has made sure her voice is heard as she pushes back against the trolls who continue to target her.

On July 20, the sprint star shared a post discussing the harassment she experiences online, writing: “There is only one demographic of people who consistently harass and send me hate across all platforms … and it’s never women.” The post quickly drew attention from fans, with one user by name @wamablesnxtdoor responding about the constant criticism Thomas faces from certain online personalities.

“Exhibit A: Erin. I honestly don’t know how yall handle it because I’d be crashing out, if I had someone who lives and breathes just to hate on me,” the user wrote. The comment appeared to reference track and field commentator Erin Brown, who has been involved in online discussions about athletes and has previously shared opinions about Thomas’ performances.

The conversation continued after the user posted a video of her warning about the criticism Thomas could face ahead of major championships, captioning it: “I’ll see y’all when it’s time for World Ultimate Championships. Wambles signing out.”

Thomas later responded to the fan, saying: “Unfortunately you are exhibit B. At least Erin uses his real name when he comes under my posts.” The exchange came after Thomas had already been involved in a public back-and-forth with Brown over her 200m potential.

Before the London Diamond League, Brown had previously commented: “My prediction Gabby won’t break 21.8 no matter what Juju runs…” And in that race, Alfred won the race with a meeting record of 21.66 seconds, while Thomas finished second in 21.81 seconds. So, the prediction came true.

Soon after the race, the situation between Thomas and Brown reportedly escalated online. According to screen recording shared on social media by Erin, Thomas sent a message questioning Brown’s comments.

Brown allegedly responded with an insult. Thomas then replied, “Oh you mad mad, it’s just a question. You are hyperfixated on me but I know it’s sensitive, I’ll leave it alone. It’s also the monotone speech pattern but it’s fine.”

Thomas later addressed the situation publicly on social media, writing: “You’ll post a video like this, block and unblock, comment and uncomment multiple times in a day bro… you’re hyperfixated… Most ppl don’t behave this way. It’s ok.” The exchange added another layer to the criticism surrounding Thomas during her 2026 comeback season. However, this is not the first time Gabby Thomas and Erin Brown have found themselves involved in a public disagreement.

Gabby Thomas shut down Harvard critics

Earlier in 2025, the Olympic champion was forced to defend her academic achievements after trolls questioned whether she had truly earned her Harvard degree. Thomas, who graduated from Harvard in 2019 with a degree in neuroscience and later earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas at Austin, pushed back against the criticism after seeing numerous comments aimed at her education.

“Today, on Jan. 26, 2025, there are hundreds of people commenting on my Twitter page that specifically because I am black, they must assume I did not earn my admission into Harvard nor did I earn my diploma. Is this real life??” Thomas wrote. A day later, Erin Brown weighed in on the discussion with a lengthy response on X. Brown argued that attending Harvard should not automatically be viewed as proof of intelligence.

“You made it seem like cause you went to Harvard that mean you’re smart… But people suggested you got in because of DEI which could indeed be true. Don’t make you any less smart. Or you could’ve got in for athletics which could be true as well,” Brown wrote as part of a longer post.

His comments did not sit well with Thomas, who fired back: “Atp you seem a little too obsessed with me …weirdo.” Brown responded, “I make a tweet giving my opinion now I’m obsessed… ok.”

Now, more than a year later, the pair have once again found themselves at the center of an online back-and-forth, this time surrounding Thomas’ 2026 season and her 200m prospects. Despite the criticism, Thomas has remained focused on her goals. One of her biggest targets this year is the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September.

Interestingly, her performances suggest she remains firmly among the world’s best sprinters. On June 7 at the Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas, Thomas stormed to victory in the 200m with a season-best 21.70 seconds. The time was a world lead at the time and placed her just one tenth of a second away from her personal best of 21.60, set in 2023.

While some critics have questioned whether she can return to that level consistently, Thomas has already shown in 2026 that she remains a serious contender on the global stage as she builds toward the biggest races of the season.