Arts & Entertainment
Gus Kenworthy shades Ivanka Trump in closing ceremony tweet
the Olympian also jokingly gave a shout-out to his new friend Adam Rippon
Gus Kenworthy (Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)
Olympian Gus Kenworthy wasn’t happy that Ivanka Trump was in attendance with Team USA at the closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Kenworthy, who came in 12th place for the men’s freestyle skiing event, shared his opinion in a tweet that praised Team USA but questioned Trump’s presence.
“So proud of all these people! Everybody here has worked so hard to make it to the Olympics and have the opportunity to walk in the closing ceremony! Well… Everyone except Ivanka. Honestly, tf is she doing here??” Kenworthy tweeted.
So proud of all these people! Everybody here has worked so hard to make it to the Olympics and have the opportunity to walk in the closing ceremony! Well… Everyone except Ivanka. Honestly, tf is she doing here?? pic.twitter.com/sfJKi0VTDb
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 25, 2018
While some people agreed with Kenworthy, others weren’t pleased at the jab.
Gus, you fight so hard for ppl to except who you are, and not judge…right? But it’s ok to publicly disparage Ivanka…for what reason? Bc you disagree with her father? If you fight to stop hate, then stop helping to spread it. D. Bag. #nolongerafan
— Dan Dailey (@badge2018) February 25, 2018
She is there doing her JOB! Unlike some people Mr. 12th place.
— Paul Honovi (@paulhonovi) February 25, 2018
Didn’t you finish last or in the bottom half of most of our ski competitions? I believe you did. Perhaps you should practice more on making yourself better and leave the political commentary to the experts.
— bryan crabtree (@bryancrabtree) February 25, 2018
Given your dreadful performance, the real question sir is what TF where you doing there?
— Darren Hunter (@darren_hunter1) February 25, 2018
Kenworthy also praised his new friendship with fellow Olympian Adam Rippon in a sarcastic tweet.
“Two weeks ago, at opening ceremonies, we met and a friendship began. Today, at closing ceremonies, it ends. @Adaripp, please stop calling me. You’re honestly starting to get v clingy and I can’t anymore,” Kenworthy joked.
Two weeks ago, at opening ceremonies, we met and a friendship began. Today, at closing ceremonies, it ends. @Adaripp, please stop calling me. You’re honestly starting to get v clingy and I can’t anymore. pic.twitter.com/h9GArWda9b
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) February 25, 2018
Kenworthy and Rippon met for the first time at the Winter Olympics after finding out they both shared the honor of being openly gay athletes competing at the games. Kenworthy has said that he and Rippon “will be friends for life.”
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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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