Professional paintball players said Jessica Maiolo's message, which some perceived as anti-vaccination and fatphobic, doesn't represent the larger paintball community.
Her husband had awakened her, telling her something was up with her team, as her phone"was going crazy," she said. Her teammates, who were competing on the East Coast, were frantically trying to contact her to alert her about the TikTok video that was setting off a firestorm.Team USA Paintball indefinitely removed player Jessica Maiolo after she posted a viral TikTok video saying a child with Covid-19 needed a "treadmill, not a Covid shot.
"We believe that players must at all times consider the weight of their words, and align themselves with the values of our organization," Team USA Paintball said in a statement Monday, in which it announced that Maiolo had been removed from the team.Paintball players from the San Diego Dynasty, a professional paintball team, said the video put the sport — which they said is largely a welcoming and warm community — in a negative light.
Some smaller organizations that are tangentially related to Team USA Paintball said they were inundated with messages and backlash, as well, even though they have no connection to Maiolo.
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