After enduring relentless hatred from her fellow countrymen, Junelle Bromfield has stopped seeking forgiveness. She still doesn’t fully understand the so-called ‘mistake’ for which she’s been branded a “traitor” and “Judas.” The criticism hasn’t stopped at her—it’s extended to her deceased mother, dragging her into the public’s harsh judgment as well. Yet, all this time, Bromfield is still unsure about the exact cause of the uproar in Jamaica. However, she does remember when it all began.

It started in July when Noah Lyles, Bromfield’s boyfriend, appeared on the Track World News podcast for an interview. Everything was going smoothly at first. Despite Lyles often stirring controversy with his blunt remarks, he seemed to be holding back—until the topic of the Jamaican camp came up.

Lyles spoke candidly, “I have been getting the drama from Jamaican camps for at least five years now.” He revealed he learned this from none other than his Jamaican girlfriend Junelle Bromfield. While he didn’t dive into specifics, that one statement was enough to ignite a firestorm. The Jamaican track community quickly labeled Bromfield a snitch. And now she admits it she understood the sentiment Lyles’ comment evoked.

In her interaction with Simone N Clarke on Sim Soul Sessions, the 26-year-old athlete said that she had learned about the backlash on the podcast from one of her friends late at night. When Junelle Bromfield asked Noah Lyles about the situation, he didn’t recall saying anything offensive. That’s when Bromfield decided to watch the podcast herself. And her first reaction? “I was like let me go watch it and I watched it and I was like this is going to blow over.” But instead, it blew up completely out of proportion.

In the following weeks, the backlash reached a boiling point. Junelle Bromfield became a pariah in her homeland, with critics launching some of the harshest verbal attacks imaginable. One particularly vicious comment stood out: “You are putting Jamaica in a bad light, but people say you’re black. This means nothing much in Jamaica. So please stop creating drama.” Bromfield tried to maintain her demeanor amidst this. Meanwhile, Noah Lyles attempted to diffuse the situation the same night his girlfriend brought it to his attention.

While interacting with Simone N Clarke, the Olympic relay medalist Bromfield recounted the events of that night. She added, “He [Noah Lyles] was asking what he could do and he apologized because I was like it’s a difference in culture and some people might take it away.” However, Bromfield knew the damage was already done, and that any effort to smooth things over might be too little, too late. Still, her boyfriend took a firm stand, determined to help ease the tension.

Noah Lyles stands beside Junelle Bromfield after the agonizing night 

In the Track Field News podcast, Noah Lyles commented, “There’s a lot of times I make references about Jamaicans but I am not trying to go back and forth, like I know information that other people don’t.” That irked the Jamaican fans. They started to doubt him and the level of information he knew about the rival camp. That also made his girlfriend an enemy in the public eye, blaming her for being the perpetrator of leaking the news. The chaos even led a Jamaican fan pen, “You should apologize to her for publicly revealing things she discussed with you in public. Just say you’re sorry and cover her.” The fan also reminded Lyles that they had never been against his and Bromfield’s relationship before. But Noah’s unrestricted comments in the podcast dismantled everything. However, Lyles didn’t say sorry afterward, but he did something fitting. 

In the context of the situation, the Florida native wrote, “I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of my GF and give her the flowers she deserves now 💐. She has been through so much in her life that I could never imagine fighting through. Beyond that she is a survivor, 2x Olympian, Olympic medalists, Multi world championship medalist, and has been representing Jamaica on the world stage since she was 8 years old.” In another post on social media, Lyles claimed his girlfriend to be a warrior who had been continuously fighting with fire. That left Junelle Bromfield thankful. 

The sprinter went to an extent, claiming, “I have a strong support team around me now um my boyfriend. Noah he’s very very supportive and he’s very big on mental health.” Additionally, she added that her condition improved because of her boyfriend’s presence by her side. Now, as they’re standing side by side, things may take a positive turn around them.