Originally appeared on E! Online
The Olympic Committee isn’t the only one dishing out gold in Paris.
Team USA track and field athlete Veronica Fraley can compete a little easier after learning that Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian and rapper Flavor Flav helped pay for her rent.
“I compete in the Olympic Games tomorrow and can’t even pay my rent,” the discus thrower posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Aug. 1. “My school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses.”
Flavor Flav — who has been a vocal supporter of women’s sports and has made a financial contribution to the U.S. women’s water polo team — wrote back, “I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW.”
Shortly after, Ohanian also offered to front the cost of Fraley’s rent, writing, “C’mon now! I’ll split it with @flavorfav.”
And within the hour, both had posted confirmation of payments to Fraley, with Ohanian sharing a screenshot showing that he wired the 24-year-old $7,760 — a nod to the name of his Seven Seven Six venture capital firm.
“Now go be great,” Ohanian wrote to Fraley, as Flavor Flav noted that the athlete’s rent is now “paid off for the year.”
The Public Enemy emcee went on to tell Fraley that he’ll also “try and come by and support you in person” at her meet.
He continued, “LMK what time.”
Fraley, who attends Vanderbilt University in Nashville, was moved by their generosity, writing that their contribution “makes every difference in the WORLD.”
“Thanks for the supporting messages,” she added to her followers. “I want to clarify my irritation isn’t with the school itself, mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete.”
And like Flavor Flav, Ohanian — who shares daughters Olympia, 6, and Adira, 12 months, with his Olympian wife Serena— is an avid supporter of women’s sports. In July 2020, he became the lead investor alongside Natalie Portman, America Ferrera, and Abby Wambach in Angel City FC, a National Women’s Soccer League team in Los Angeles.
“What was very obvious from the nature of women’s sports was that all they needed was a platform to really honor their greatness,” Ohanian told E! News at a March 2023 Angel City FC event. “Let me give my capital, my resources, my team’s expertise to help amazing women do great things.”
