Could you imagine representing your nation on the world’s biggest stage and receiving nothing but disrespect in return? It might seem like a question to most of us. But this has been Junelle Bromfield’s reality for quite some time now. When Noah Lyles appeared on the Track World News podcast in July, neither of them would’ve assumed this would snowball into something as big. “I have been getting the drama from Jamaican camps for at least five years now.” This one confession turned the track and field duo’s world upside down.

Were the fans mad? Yes. But the magnitude of their ire began with them calling the 26-year-old a “traitor.” Even though the sprinter hoped to put it behind her, it only got worse when they stepped into the City of Love. Lyles contested in the 100m finals at Stade de France and edged his Jamaican rival, Kishane Thompson, by 0.005 seconds. Like any other supportive partner, the 26-year-old celebrated her beau’s victory. Unfortunately, that didn’t work in her favor.

But now that Junelle Bromfield and Noah Lyles have been back in the States for a while, she’s slowly trying to let the past go. The sprinter shared a carousel of loved-up images of the duo looking all dapper on Instagram, captioned, “black love 🫶🏿🖤“. Could this possibly be a diss? The Jamaican made a sly reference to her confession in August. “I grew up hearing black is not beautiful,” she posted on Instagram.

Even though Noah Lyles tasted success at Stade de France, his Jamaican failed to make the podium. This only made the fans more irate, sending her several hate comments. However, the sprinter didn’t acknowledge these until she returned from the French capital. On August 23rd, the 26-year-old shared a few images of the comments on Instagram. “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,” she addressed.

Junelle Bromfield showed the world the heartbreaking reality of her experience with cyberbullying. However, no one seemed to believe her. “And when it gets talked about I’m a liar because no Jamaican was coming for my features.” The sprinter reiterated her shock by the colorism from her homeland. But, even through all the lows, Noah Lyles has continued to be her pillar of strength. In fact, he played a pivotal role in helping her leave all the negativity behind. 

Junelle Bromfield has her boyfriend, Noah Lyles, in her corner

If there’s anyone who knows how heartbreaking it is when your own countrymen and women turn on you, it’s Noah Lyles. Leading up to the Paris Olympics, he found himself in hot water. Many even rooted against the American. A little before the Summer Games began, the Jamaican was in bed when her phone lit up. Her friend had sent her a screenshot from her X feed, asking her to check it. Much to her dismay, it was worse than she expected.

The first comment Junelle Bromfield saw stated, “Junelle is a Judas.” But the sprinter didn’t think this was a fair comparison. However, over time it kept piling up, leading to death threats too. When Simone Clarke approached the 26-year-old for an interview in Jamaica, she was hesitant. However, while she did agree, it wouldn’t be in Jamaica. In an episode of ‘Sim Soul Sessions’, she revealed their conversation from that night.

The 26-year-old asked Noah what he said on the podcast. However, he reiterated that he didn’t say anything. “So I was like, ‘Let me go watch it,’ and I watched it and I was like, ‘This is going to blow over.'” But it didn’t. Things just got unbearable after a while. And that’s when her beau backed her up. “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… don’t think I am crying in my sleep now,” the sprinter confessed. 

Junelle Bromfield credits Noah Lyles for giving her the confidence to take the hate on her chin. While she put on a brave face for the longest time, she eventually reached her breaking point. But by the looks of her recent post on Instagram, the track and field power couple seem to be finding their stride again. What do you think of the Jamaican’s classy way of throwing shade?