Not long after the tragic death of NBA star, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and 7 other lives, the inevitable social media flood of heartfelt #girldad posts and “life is too short” momentos shifted to something very different, per usual.
A CBS interview with Gayle King and WNBA star Lisa Leslie in which Gayle asked Leslie, “It’s been said that his legacy is complicated because of a sexual assault charge, which was dismissed in 2003, 2004. Is it complicated for you as a woman, as a WNBA player?” sparked outrage in Bryant fans.
Social media, including celebrities Bill Cosby, Snoop Dogg, and 50 cent, viciously called her out for asking about his 2003 rape allegation “too soon” and “tearing down his leagacy.” King responded by claiming that her intentions were “taken out of context” because CBS only posted that short clip from a longer interview.
“Gayle conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview with Lisa Leslie about the legacy of Kobe Bryant. An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview. We are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been made,” CBS said in a statement obtained by Fox.
When asked in an interview on CBS Morning how Gayle was handing the backlash, longtime friend Oprah Winfrey was visibly emotional as she responded “May I just say she is not doing well… She is feeling very much attacked…”
The hashtag #IStandWithGayle started trending not too long after that. In the midst of 9 people losing their lives and the grief that comes with that, it’s amazing just how quickly social media loses its sense of decency even in times of tragedy. Controversy and discord erupt without shame. When Kobe and his daughter Giannna died, the hashtag #girldad acknowledged all the great dads raising great girls and 2 weeks later those same people attacked this female journalist with no hesitation.
While coping with attacks from social media, Gayle King, CBS, and Oprah Winfrey failed to verbally acknowledge the broken hearts of those affected by the multiple deaths.
In the blink of an eye, the internet can go from lifting each other up in a time of grief to tearing a single person down in a moment of weakness. While friends and family of the 9 lives lost are still grieving, social media managed to remind us just how flimsy and disingenuous it can be.