Hannity ‘Shocked’ By ‘Mean and Cruel’ Treatment of Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles: ‘People Seem Pretty Heartless’
After blasting Olympians who use the global stage to protest social injustice, Sean Hannity offered compassion to athletes dealing with mental health issues.
In recent weeks and months, US gymnast Simone Biles and Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka have dealt with criticism for prioritizing their mental health over sports competitions.
“To be honest, and this may surprise you, I’m kind of shocked people have actually been so mean and cruel in many cases,” Hannity said on Fox News. “Passing judgment of both these incredible female athletes. Can we just be a little more respectful?”
Last week, Biles withdrew from team gymnastics events at the Tokyo Olympics citing mental health concerns, and earlier this year, Osaka pulled out of the French Open for similar reasons. The reaction to Biles and Osaka putting mental health first has been split, with some celebrating the superstar athletes as heroes, while detractors question their loyalty and toughness.
“All of us need to take a deep breath, relax, reset, move forward,” Hannity said of the critics. “These young women have both sacrificed years and years, over a decade of their life to become some of the greatest athletes in their respective sports.”
“No, I don’t want anyone to quit or step away,” the conservative pundit continued. “We always want to fight through fear and adversity. But…none of us ever know what someone, especially any young person, what they might be going through that you don’t know about. You just don’t know. They are under tremendous pressure. And I’m sorry, but some people seem pretty heartless in their comments.”
After withdrawing from the French Open, Osaka returned to the tennis court last week and represented her home country at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles made her return to Olympic competition Tuesday, winning the bronze medal exactly one week after withdrawing from team events.
Watch above via Fox News
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