In Twitter photos that she posts ahead of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor's preliminary match, the TikTok star is jokingly posing with a mic in her hand to make herself look like a correspondent.
- Jul 12, 2021
AceShowbiz - Addison Rae was among those who were excited for UFC 264. The TikTok star, however, sparked backlash after she shared on social media pictures that seemingly led people to believe that she was a UFC correspondent.
In the said photos, which were posted on Twitter ahead of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor's preliminary match, the 20-year-old could be seen jokingly posing with a mic in her hand to make herself look like a correspondent. "I studied broadcast journalism in college for 3 whole months to prepare for this moment," she playfully wrote in the caption, referring to her time as a student at Louisiana State University before she left to pursue her career as a social media personality.
Some Twitter users thought she was really hired as a UFC correspondent and it didn't sit well with them as there are more people whom they thought more deserving. "the AUDACITY.. do you know how many people who are more trained and qualified who have been studying this and putting their WHOLE life savings into college that you took this away from. i have a friend who studied for SIX YEARS only to have thus shoved in her face. disgusting," a critic said.
"This is disrespectful to all the people who go to college and work their a**es off for jobs like this and sometimes don't even get them but because Addison has clout she gets them over QUALIFIED sports journalists," someone else opined. Another person sarcastically added, "Stealing jobs from those more deserving, very classy."
However, some others jumped to Addison's defense. "people tell you to get a real job and then are mad when you get one smh," a fan noted. An anchor also chimed in, writing, "I work in broadcast as a news anchor. I don't understand the outrage. Companies can hire who they choose. Being an influencer or having a big social media following can sometimes be a plus. There's nothing wrong with someone getting a shot at something new."
Addison appeared to catch wind of the criticism and jokingly addressed the controversy. Quote-retweeting her original post, the influencer wrote, "nvm y'all got me fired."
The post, however, only further made people mad at her. "Good. You didn't deserve it & you’ve never worked hard in your life. Proof everything is just handed to you," one person reacted. "You got yourself fired when you flaunted you 'whole 3 months' of schooling. Some things are better not said, but I understand you wouldn't be able to see how this looks bad since your in your protected bubble," someone else echoed the sentiment.
Despite the heavy criticism, someone defended Addison in a lengthy tweet. "She did work hard, making content isn't easy, okay. I mean how many many many many anchors/commentators/reporters never even went to college or just have a degree in language. I guess I understand some people's frustration, because it wasn't frustration, it was jealousy," the person explained.
Not stopping there, the person added in a separate tweet, "People need to understand that social media is an up and coming platform, and they need to accept that getting career from social is all my generation has. Our older generations have not left us any employment opportunities, so this generation has to find ways to do it themselves."
