Discus thrower Veronica Fraley doesn't have to worry about rent money for the rest of the year.
Veronica Fraley has a lot to celebrate. After the 24-year-old Olympic athlete revealed that she was unable to pay her rent, Flavor Flav and Alexis Ohanian teamed up to help her out.
"I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can't even pay my rent," Fraley tweeted on Thursday. "My school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven't won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses."
Indeed, Fraley, a discus thrower, will compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Aug. 2. The Paris Games mark Fraley's first Olympics. The Clemson and Vanderbilt University graduate, who's currently pursuing a Master of Education in Human Development and Family Studies at the latter school, previously competed at two world championships.
In a follow-up tweet, Fraley added, "Thanks for the supporting messages but I want to clarify my irritation isn't with the school itself, mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I'm WORTH as a collegiate athlete such as NIL which favors popularity over performance. That's all I'm sayin. Wish me luck tm!"
Ohanian wanted to do more than wish Fraley luck, though. The Reddit co-founder replied to Fraley's tweet by writing, "C'mon now! I'll split it with @flavorfav."
Flav was on board with that plan, responding, "I gotchu,,, DM me and I'll send payment TODAY so you don't have to worry bout it TOMORROW,,, and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!"
Both men proved they followed through by sharing screenshots after they sent Fraley money for rent. A rep for Flavor Flav told ET, "I can confirm that Flav paid her rent in full. Then Alexis stepped in and paid her rent for the rest of the year."
"THANK YOU & @FlavorFlav SO MUCH," Fraley wrote in response to Ohanian's tweet. "This makes every difference in the WORLD & I hope to represent team USA well this week."
Flav was clearly moved by the gratitude and took to X again to write, "This the power of community,,, my girl @vmfraley had 7000 people see her tweet,, only 41 people 'liked' it,, only 5 people commented,, only 1 tagged me and @alexisohanian. Now that tweet been seen by 10 MILLION people,, her rent paid off for the year,, and people gots her back!"
Fraley isn't the only athlete Flav has supported at this year's Olympics. Flav, who's at the Games as the official hype man of the American women's water polo team, also promoted GoFundMe pages set up by several athletes, including Fraley.
"This is what I been saying and promoting with water polo,,, I can't fix everything on my own,,, but right now I am," he tweeted.
When ET spoke to Flav about the Olympic Games, he gushed, "Words right now can't even explain how amazing it is. I'm living a dream come true right now. I always dreamed about being at the Olympics one day, watching it and seeing it in person. Right now God has granted me the gift to where I'm able to be here and see it."
More recently, he told ET in a statement, "I'm just happy to help those who are representing the best of all of us. This is exactly why I have been in Paris. I am trying to bring awareness of some the hardships Olympians experience. They are out here working 2-3 jobs just to get by. While I'm here, I want to thank Alexis Ohanian for also stepping up, not just for Veronica, but for all female athletes."
But the legendary rapper is doing more than hyping up athletes. He's also bringing his energy and enthusiasm to old-school hip-hop shows. According to Steve Einzig, CEO of BookingEntertainment.com, it's Flav's authenticity that keeps his fans wanting more.
"His larger-than-life personality and energy are totally authentic," said Einzig, whose company offers big-name entertainment for private parties, corporate events and more. "He really does care about people, and this caring is on full display."
For example, at a corporate gig booked by his company, just days after Coolio's untimely death, Flav masterminded a star-studded tribute that had the crowd electrified. He rallied icons like Rob Base, Tone Loc, and The Sugar Hill Gang to perform hits like "Gangster's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage." The show not only wowed the audience but also moved the client to donate $10,000 to Coolio's funeral.
Flav continues to stay in demand.
"We have received numerous requests for him [recently]," Einzig added. "Our clients that already have him booked are very excited by the added value his newfound notoriety and excitement will bring to their event."
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