Naomi Osaka got one of the SI: Swimsuit Edition covers & fascists were triggered

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Yesterday, the three covers for the Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition were released. They gave covers to Megan Thee Stallion, Leyna Bloom and Naomi Osaka. Megan’s cover is my favorite because I love seeing a naturally curvy/fit woman own her body, and Megan is just really sexy to me. Leyna’s cover is notable because she’s the first transgender woman to appear on the cover of the Swimsuit Edition. And Naomi Osaka is there as an Olympic preview, and because she’s won two Slams in the past year.

Osaka’s SI cover comes on the heels of other magazine cover appearances, including Time Magazine, Vogue Hong Kong and Vogue Japan. Those covers also come on the heels of her withdrawal from the French Open and the entire grass-court season (including Wimbledon) because she was dealing with mental health issues. For some reason – I guess because it was Sports Illustrated – the Swimsuit Edition issue triggered a lot of conservatives who took issue with Naomi Osaka, like, appearing on magazine covers? Megyn Kelly was one of those people, because her dumb podcast won’t promote itself. Megyn pointed out how many magazine covers Osaka has gotten recently:

At some point, Osaka quote-tweeted this Megyn Kelly tweet with what amounted to a “how dare you” and an explanation that most of these magazine editorials were done last year, when everyone thought the Olympics were happening. Osaka then deleted that tweet and just flat-out blocked Megyn Kelly. Sidenote: Osaka has gone on blocking sprees on Twitter for years, she used to block lots of tennis fans who weren’t even tagging her (which is her right). My point? If you’ve followed Osaka’s career/social media habits, you know that she blocks people on social media constantly. But for Megyn Kelly, it was a new experience and one which Megyn felt the need to mock.

Megyn kept going, because she was feeding on the attention. Piers Morgan joined in too:

What I’ve wished from the start of the Osaka drama in Paris this year was that everyone would just take it down several notches, the lovers and the haters. None of this is helpful to Osaka personally, especially on the eve of the Olympics, her first tournament since she left Paris in a storm of controversy. It’s ridiculous and painful to see right-wing fascist figures like Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan turn Osaka into their latest subject-of-hate (and they always reserve their strongest hate for women of color).

The other SI covers:

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Covers courtesy of Sports Illustrated.

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44 Responses to “Naomi Osaka got one of the SI: Swimsuit Edition covers & fascists were triggered”

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  1. Haylie says:

    I see Megyn Kelly is back in her white nationalist tour, attacking women of color.

    Such a racist garbage bag.

    • ADS says:

      She is a ridiculous woman. And as other blue ticks have pointed out on twitter, she is no stranger to blocking critics herself. But I shouldn’t be surprised; like so many racists, she is incapable of shame.

  2. EnormousCoat says:

    Megyn is twice Naomi’s age. Imagine being 50 and picking on a 23 year-old on social media. This is it. This is Megyn’s career. What an achievement. As I said on the previous article about her, she’s a failure.

    • Mac says:

      She and Morgan are pathetic clout chasers who bully Black women to get attention,

      • Traveler says:

        Two intrinsically awful individuals who routinely fail at being contributing members of society.

    • LillyfromLillooet says:

      Feeling this!

    • Esmom says:

      I don’t know why I’m astonished that she would do this, why I would have expected something better than that. And Piers just joining in on the attack, wow. Garbage humans, both of them.

      • EnormousCoat says:

        @Esmom Yes, this is on brand for a total loser who is incapable of performing a basic and essential part of their job, which is to get people to talk. So this is what you do when you can’t do your job.

      • Anna says:

        Why? The default is senseless hatred. It’s only surprising when people say positive things about Black women.

    • MF1 says:

      Pretty pathetic that neither she nor Piers have anything better to do than bully a 23-year-old on social media.

    • Otaku fairy says:

      “Megyn is twice Naomi’s age. Imagine being 50 and picking on a 23 year-old on social media.” Yep. But…her being midde-aged means her rightwing talking points and bullying must be accepted as harsh wisdom for Gen Lost! For a certain type, that’s power and it doesn’t matter what else they have going for them in life- money, family, ‘logic’, health, “souls that haven’t thinned” due to their morally superior paths, or whatever else they have to tell everybody.

  3. MellyMel says:

    Megyn is a racist ass-clown who can’t keep a job. Honestly everyone should block her for peace of mind.

    Anyway…all three ladies look great on the SI covers!!

  4. Merricat says:

    Racists surprised when people are over their stupidity. They’re not the brightest bunch.

  5. Scal says:

    Osaka specifically said she didn’t want to talk to media right after a match. Or right before.

    So unless this SI spread was during a tournament the haters can take ALL the seats

    • Esmom says:

      Exactly. JFC the right wing are masters of taking EVERYTHING out of context and twisting it to fit their regressive narrative. And why Kelly and Morgan feel the need to die on this particular hill is mystifying. So gross.

    • MissMarirose says:

      In the tweet she later deleted, she said that she shot all those covers in 2019 before the pandemic.

  6. Lizzie says:

    There is never a shortage of people who feel it’s their duty and right to tell younger women what they should do, say and wear. Piers and Megyn are nothing but professional critics, they have nothing to add to society so they spend their lives tearing at people who actually have talent and contribute. They apr as predictable as they are boring.
    Edit This is very much overstating Naomis statement just like they do with the Sussex request for privacy.

    • Otaku fairy says:

      Exactly. There really never is a shortage. Yet they always find some way to act like being the older, closer to the right person putting younger women in their place is some kind of minority status.

  7. Jillian says:

    Sure, go ahead and rag on these gorgeous women. Most of us would never stand a chance of being half as hot as any one of them, and these trolls just show us who they are every day. Keep being boring and ugly, Megyn and Piers – no one would recognize you otherwise

    • BothSidesNow says:

      Plus, we also should applaud these women for their talent and their incredible strengths at their professions and how much they contribute to the world!!! They all look so beautiful and bad ass on the covers!!!

      And may the trolls like Morgan and Kelly have to pay for their hideous actions one day!! Block ALL trollls! They don’t deserve a minute of respect or to be publicly trotted out to spread the hate!

  8. NTheMiddle says:

    Swatting the white smoke aside … DAMN Osaka is gorgeous. I have a new girl-crush. I need that swimsuit.

    • terra says:

      Her cover is my favorite. It’s Sports Illustrated, she’s a world-class athlete, and her (amazing) body comes from the hard work and dedication she puts into performing at the peak of her profession. What *isn’t* amazing about that?

      Also, she’s beautiful, so bonus!

  9. Nev says:

    Stay mad.

  10. YAS says:

    “While taking a shot at me” sorry, I read Osaka’s tweet and the only shot she took was politely pointing out that Megyn is a journalist, which is already the nicest thing anyone has said about that wretched woman.

  11. Lemons says:

    All I can say is that Yu Tsai did not do great work on these covers. Lighting is VERY poor and the posing with both models is off.

  12. Amy Bee says:

    What’s the common denominator between Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan? They hate people of colour especially women and they’re unemployed media people desperate for attention.

  13. MsIam says:

    Megyn and Piers. Pegyn. A match made in hell. Textbook studies on how to fire yourself from your own life.

  14. Songs (Or it didnt happen) says:

    I think it is absolutely fine to block people on Twitter. Go off with that button, you know? No one, be they Naomi Osaka or Chrissy Teigen, should be forced to engage in a conversation with someome if they don’t want to. The media is going to cover criticisms (in the case of Teigen) anyway. There is no extra credit or rep for engaging with confrontation on Twitter.

  15. LightPurple says:

    For once the Swimsuit issue actually features people wearing actual swimsuits that you could maybe even swim in!

    And between those three covers, racist, misogynistic, transphobe Ben Shapiro, who has repeatedly attacked both Naomi and Megan, has probably sputtered himself into unconsciousness.

    More power to you, ladies! #BlockMegynKelly

  16. StellainNH says:

    What beautiful women. I love all three of those covers.

  17. KinChicago says:

    I think it is refreshing. Naomi looks beautiful and she has a right to block any abusive trolls thirsty for attention without any accomplishment.

  18. BnlurNforever says:

    There’s a perfect explanation for why she’s so much in the media and she shouldn’t have had to explain that to a so-called journalist who should have done the research before shooting off a ridiculous tweet. I don’t know why people are still treating mental health like it’s nothing, but I guess I shouldn’t expect decency from some people.

  19. questions says:

    Why do journalists get upset when they’re blocked? Journalists are free to write articles about these subjects, but the subjects are not obligated to have to see them and tweet back and forth with them.

  20. Mama says:

    If you’re on Twitter go and report Kelly’s tweets. She is bullying and harassing and shouldn’t be allowed on the platform. She’s the devil (if it existed).

  21. Jess says:

    Why do they care so much? It’s so pathetic.

    Also who picked the typeface for these covers? An early 2000s preteen?

  22. Eliza says:

    Does the whole swim suit month with women in bikinis seem a little past its prime in 2021??

  23. Premadonna says:

    Naomi is under absolutely no obligation to let racist trolls converse directly with her.

  24. Theothermia says:

    I hope she finds time to protect her peace of mind from these jerks and focus on her sport, get centered and a little excited for the Olympic games.

    These rats don’t know the first thing about the dedication and discipline an athlete of her calibre must command. All they’ve ever done is fail up and suck up, and deep down – they know it. They know they could never have the nerve to be really dedicated to a craft. Literally haters with no skills.

  25. Isabella says:

    I love all three covers. What a treat.

  26. Passerby says:

    Love Megan’s cover. I loved your site Kiser. I mostly read just see and mostly agree w/some of your takes but lately. Idk what’s up. But you do Naomi no favors. She the one getting dragged by racist Barbie but you choose to not post Naomi tweet and just sum it up as a “how dare you”. Yet post White Santa and pis Morgan’s nonsense. Ewe