“I have been getting cyber bullied for weeks,” confessed Junelle Bromfield just last month after weeks of incessant backlash. As the Jamaican track & field star talked about the devastating comments aimed her way, fellow stars, including Gabby Thomas, Yohan Blake and her boyfriend Noah Lyles, had stood solid, supporting her. But yet, the situation has hardly improved, forcing Bromfield to take a heartbreaking precautionary measure. But before we get to that…

For the unversed: The controversy arose in July when Noah Lyles had revealed being privy to the Jamaican camp’s gossip. In a conversation with Track World News, the 27-year-old stated, “Junelle being Jamaican and having trained in MVP, I have been getting the drama from the Jamaican camp at least five years now.” Notably, while Lyles and Bromfield started dating in 2022, but have been close friends since 2017, when Junelle slid into her future boyfriend’s DMs. As expected, the consequence of the incident was Junelle being branded as a traitor. But it didn’t end there as the US sprinter confessed to taking personal digs against his Jamaican competitors.

“There is a lot of times where I make references about Jamaicans but I am not trying to go back and forth, like I know information that other people don’t,” the Olympic gold medalist had further mentioned.

What added more fuel to the fire was Bromfield’s performance at the Paris Olympics. While she had helped secure a bronze in the 4×400 m relay in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, this time Jamaica had to settle for a fifth-place finish. On top of that, the 26-year-old also missed out on the 400m race with the semifinal finish, earning her people’s wrath. Death threats had become a regular occurrence, with many social media users warning her against returning to the island nation.

For Bromfield, running track was an escape from the harsh reality of her life—her mother’s untimely passing from cervical cancer in 2021. And yet that very aspect is now threatening her mental health and turning her life upside down. While Bromfield has ignored the negativities for a long time, a recent revelation has shed light on how serious the situation is back at home. Simone Clarke, the host of the popular show ‘Sim Soul Sessions’, recently reached out to Bromfield to get her unfiltered take on life. While Bromfield did agree to give the interview, Clarke revealed a harrowing truth…

The host shared a snippet from the interview where the track star was heard saying, “I had to turn off my inbox because I was getting death threats…” Furthermore, Clarke mentioned how the onslaught Junelle has been enduring forced to question whether “she wants to do it[run] anymore, but if she wants to do it for Jamaica”. 

Reacting to Bromfield’s fearful state of mind, the fans had mixed reactions. While some opined that her fear is quite expected, others simply cited how Sha’Carri Richardson gave an unfiltered account of her troubles sitting in the United States. 

Junelle Bromfield’s fear of the Caribbean has fans divided

Soon after Simone Clarke’s revelation went viral, fans started to let their be known on the unfavorable situation. One user suggested that Junelle Bromfield could visit Jamaica discreetly without attracting attention, implying her fear of returning is unnecessary. Their comment read, “True! She could’ve come and leave and nobody would know except those that need to. No need for her to fear coming to Jamaica.” 

Another social media user expressed skepticism about Bromfield’s fear of returning to Jamaica and wrote on X, “And I feel like she knows nobody will harm her. Saying that is another way for people to feel sorry for her lol”. 

However, others acknowledged her reality with one person commenting, “We are not in her skin we can’t dictate how she feels after all these abusive comments. It’s easy to stand on the outside and decide how someone should feel”.

Notably, Bromfield didn’t travel to her native country for the interview, like what usually happens. As per another Instagram post by Simone, “We reached out to her, and I offered to fly her home to come sit with me for @simsoulsessions because I thought she needed to have her say. Her response hurt my heart. She wanted to accept the invitation, but she was afraid to come home.”

However, things worked out for the better as the two sat down for an interview in Jamaica’s Montego Bay just a week later.

Having said that, another fan highlighted the disconnect between casual critics and the severity of the abuse Junelle Bromfield faces. “Yea, we can say anything cause we aren’t the ones receiving the disgusting messages. They did too much,” they wrote. 

Case in point: We all say Junelle’s heartfelt post where she confessed about her debacle. On August 23, the track star had revealed, “I grew up hearing black is not beautiful , Your hair is dry , your mouth is too big , your forehead too high and when you throw all those insults behind you and start walking with confidence the best compliment you get is your pretty for a black girl . I honestly thought we were past colorism in Jamaica especially as nation that is filled with black people . I have been getting cyber bullied for weeks…”

Another commenter acknowledged that, while they don’t believe Junelle Bromfield is in actual danger, they understand her fear given the backlash she’s receiving. “I don’t think anyone would hurt her, but I fully understand her FEAR. It’s her reality, not mine”, read the comment. They emphasize that Bromfield’s fear is valid because it’s based on her personal experiences of threats and cyberbullying, even though it may not be something others personally relate to.

Emphasizing that people outside of Bromfield’s situation cannot fully understand her emotional struggles, one netizen commented, They argue it’s unfair to judge how she should feel, especially after she had to face online bullying. Thus, with several opinions pouring in, one thing is for sure: the unprecedented hatred that Junelle Bromfield is getting is surely affecting her life in a nightmarish manner.