‘Do better’: Tennis star Naomi Osaka claps back at newswoman Megyn Kelly’s mean girl tweets
Naomi Osaka has had enough of Megyn Kelly’s mean girl tweets.
The tennis champ blocked the news anchor after Kelly criticized her for appearing on major magazine covers following her public withdrawal from the French Open and then Wimbledon after refusing to do press on the grounds that it compromised her mental health. Osaka was fined $15,000 for her media shutdown.
“Let’s not forget the cover of (& interview in) Vogue Japan and Time Mag!” Kelly tweeted, following conservative commentator Clay Travis, who tweeted that Osaka “has launched a reality show, a Barbie, and now is on the cover of the SI swimsuit issue.” Both appeared to doubt Osaka’s assertion that she had withdrawn from those public events out of concern for her mental health.
Osaka responded in a tweet that has since been deleted, according to NBC News.
“Seeing as you’re a journalist I would’ve assumed you would take the time to research what the lead times are for magazines,” she retorted. “If you did that you would’ve found out I shot all of my covers last year.”
Her parting shot: “Do better Megan.”
Kelly lobbed back with more snark.
“Poor Naomi Osaka blocked me while taking a shot at me (guess she’s only tough on the courts),” Kelly tweeted along with a screenshot of Osaka’s blockage. “She is apparently arguing that she shot her many covers before publicly claiming she was too socially anxious to deal w/press. Truth is she just doesn’t like Qs she can’t control. Admit it.”
Kelly even jumped on people who leaped to Osaka’s defense, telling Martina Navratilova in another tweet that tagged Osaka, “You were indeed a great tennis player; as a social commentator, eh. FYI, generally not considered a sign you are winning when ‘block’ is your next move. Like running off the court crying.”
Kelly was notoriously sent packing by NBC in 2018 after making controversial remarks about people wearing blackface.
