The story of a young girl who was bullied at school and her heartwarming moment with her favorite basketball player, Audi Crooks, who was also the target of online hate speech.
star and her young fan. And it was, it absolutely was — that is, until certain men on the internet saw it, and ruined everything.
What happened next was a chain reaction: an internet cesspool of hateful comments, a Midwestern T-shirt store coming to the rescue, a $1,000 reward, a Boston-based reporter flying into town, a troll unmasked, and finally, a meeting between the little girl and her online bully. On Jan. 22, 2025, Emily and Priscilla Rebollozo brought their six-year-old daughter Kamdyn, their three-year-old son, and their toddler twin boys to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, to watch the Iowa State women’s basketball team take on BYU.
In a state that has no pro teams in any sport, Iowa’s college teams — in particular, women’s basketball — have become the epicenter of local sports fandom. It began with Caitlin Clark’s dominance during her tenure at the University of Iowa, which saw the school’s arena go from empty seats to sold-out crowds. That elevated a new class of rising basketball stars in the state — among them, Audi Crooks.
Crooks is a powerful center who averages 25 points a game for Iowa State. She’s also a hometown girl who gives back to her community and is beloved by locals, including the Rebollozos. The Rebollozos got to the game early that day so Kamdyn could show Crooks her new T-shirt. Yellow with maroon lettering, Iowa State colors, it read: ‘Smile like Audi.
’ Kamdyn had been going through a tough time the year prior, getting bullied at school for her weight. But standing in front of Crooks, she beamed with pride. It was such a lovely moment that Tommy Birch, a sports reporter for the, took a picture and posted it on X. In the photo, Crooks, her back to the court, is talking to Kamdyn, taking her seriously as a fan and, most importantly, a human being.
After the game, a friend texted Emily to say, ‘Kam is famous! ’ Emily, who had deleted X from her phone long ago, had to re-download the app to see that the picture had gone viral. The Rebollozos don’t live their lives online. Their world is diapers and snack time, work and family.
That’s why Emily didn’t think twice before handing her daughter the phone so Kamdyn could see how many people loved her. Emily grabbed the phone and looked at the replies. The first one she saw was a picture of a mother cow and a baby cow, posted by someone using the name ‘Howard Stevens, CPA. ’ It got worse.
A lot worse.who promote Audi’s lifestyle should be deported. Little kids think it’s cool to be overweight since Audi is. ”“I’m surprised Audi didn’t try to eat her. ” (Howard Stevens.
)J. Cole’s Basketball Career in China Cut Short After Running Into Visa Issues When they got home, Emily went into her room and shut the door so Kamdyn couldn’t see her crying. She tried to defend her daughter online, and others did, too, but that just made the trolling worse. Birch, thereporter, did eventually reach out and offer to take the photo down, but Emily knew it wouldn’t help. This was an internet pile-on.
Like flies on carrion, you couldn’t make them go away. That night, after the kids were in bed, Emily opened the app again. There is a kind of morbid curiosity to watching the internet spiral into hatred. It feels like hearing people talk about you in a restroom when they think you aren’t there.
Crooks is often the target of racist and fatphobic comments, has been ever since she was an 8th-grade basketball star at her small high school. Once, an Iowa State Cyclones fan account posted a picture of Crooks at the state fair with a steer, and the onslaught of hateful comments that followed was too much; the picture disappeared. One of theBut it does get to you, eventually.
THE REBOLLOZOS AND Crooks were already friends before the trolling incident, bonded by another cruel fan encounter. The family had met Crooks at the Ames farmers market in July of 2024, when the couple’s twins were just two weeks old. They’d brought Kamdyn to get her shirt signed by Crooks, who was there with Mackenzie Hare, another Iowa State basketball player. The Rebollozos struck up a conversation with Hare and Crooks, who asked to hold the babies.
Hare is also a twin; they had a lot to talk about. While they were chatting, Emily recalls that an older man walked up to them.
‘I don’t want to be derogatory,’ he began. The Rebollozos are a two-mom family, and Iowa is a deep-red state, with anti-LGBTQ book bans in schools. Emily braced herself.
Then the man looked at the baby in Crooks’ arm and said, ‘Your baby’s ugly. ’ Emily was shocked. Everyone stared in silence at the man’s rudeness. When he walked away, Crooks and Hare apologized as if they were to blame.
Emily recalls them saying, ‘We’re really sorry. We couldn’t really say what we wanted to say. We have to act a certain way. ’ Meaning that as Iowa State basketball players, they are representatives of the team in public and held to a higher standard of conduct. They couldn’t tell that man exactly what they thought of him
Iowa State Cyclones Caitlin Clark Audi Crooks Iowa State Women's Basketball Online Bullying Anti-LGBTQ Book Bans Iowa State Cyclones Fan Account State Fair Anti-Fatphobic Comments Anti-Racist Comments
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Are You Bullying on Social Media Without Realizing It?Many who bully online don't feel like bullies—they feel right. A look at how cruelty can set in by degrees, often unnoticed, and how to recognize it in oneself and others.
Read more »
'Young Sherlock' Team On Creating Origin Story Of Master DetectiveYoung Sherlock stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Dónal Finn and Zine Tseng discuss the series in an interview at the Deadline Studio Prime Experience.
Read more »
Derek Hough Reveals Childhood Bullying Trauma and Calls for Online Positivity as He Enters FatherhoodOn the Bossticks podcast, Derek Hough describes the severe bullying he faced as a child-including threats with a gun-and how moving to London gave him clarity. Now, as a new father, he urges people to consider whether their online comments add value or merely add to the noise.
Read more »
Boston Public Library plans 19 Drag Queen Story Hours for young kids during Pride MonthBoston Public Library branches will host 19 drag queen story hour events for children during June as part of LGBTQ+ Pride Month programming this year.
Read more »