While the ‘Lochtegate’– the controversy engulfing members of the US swim team including Ryan Lochte – continues to unfold, there is one person who does not care: Chrissy Teigen.
The model said exactly what she thought of the story by issuing a reminder of what else is going on in the world. Sharing a link to a New York Times story chronicling Omran Daqneesh - the little boy from Aleppo whose picture of him covered in dust and blood staring blankly at the back of an ambulance after an air strike was shared widely on news sites and social media, she vented her frustration.
“I personally cannot bring myself to give two sh*ts about Ryan Lochte’s gas station fight and this is why,” Teigen wrote to her 2.4 million followers.
Lochte initially claimed he and his teammates had been victims of an armed robbery on the way back from a party in Rio. Those claims have now been disputed by Brazilian police who accused the swimmer of "fabricating" the story to cover up a different tale of events. Police then ordered the men to stay in the country and released CCTV evidence of them at a petrol station which contradicted some of his earlier account. Lochte has since apologised for his behaviour during the Olympics.
After receiving some backlash over the tweet by people arguing the Lochte story deserves attention as his initial claims of being a victim of an armed robbery fuelled some of the hysteria and stereotypes surrounding crime and safety in Brazil which clouded the run-up to the Olympics, Teigen launched her defence.
Omran's story has moved people around the world after video footage showed the five-year-old being rescued after strikes hit his home in the rebel-held Qaterji district. He suffered head wounds but no brain injuries and was later discharged later. It has since been reported his parents and siblings are alive after being pulled from the rubble of their home. Eight victims, including five children, were reportedly killed in the bombing.
