Just a day after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, LeBron James made headlines for sternly rebuffing a young fan outside a restaurant in France, and the woman who became known as “Courtside Karen” after her own interaction with the basketball star is speaking out.
A TikTok video shared on August 11 showed the Team USA star arriving at a restaurant in France to much fanfare. A boy can be seen approaching with his phone in the hope of getting a photo, but James points his finger in the young fan’s face and says, “Stop,” before a member of his entourage pushes the boy away.
Juliana Zambetti, popularly known as “Courtside Karen,” gained worldwide media attention after she was kicked out of a Los Angeles Lakers game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta on February 1, 2021. Zambetti’s husband, a longtime Hawks fan, had heckled James from their courtside seats. As seen in the game’s broadcast, James responded, and Zambetti stood up and removed her face mask to fire back at James.
Zambetti and her husband were kicked out of State Farm Arena, along with two other spectators.
Although James told reporters after the game, which the Lakers won 107–99, that he didn’t believe their removal “was warranted,” he posted to his more than 50 million followers on Twitter, now X, “Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!!” alongside several laughing emojis.
The nickname stuck, and Zambetti became the target of a wave of online harassment. Her experience has since propelled her to become a passionate advocate against cyberbullying.
“In the middle of a global pandemic, I found myself faced with a decision to make – stand up for something I believed in, or potentially risk it all. I chose to stand up for what I believed in. Fortunately for me, I am happy I made that decision,” Zambetti said.
Even though the incident occurred more than three years ago, just last month another TikTok video used a clip of Zambetti speaking about it alongside a supercut of James sinking baskets. The video has racked up more than 12 million views, prompting a fresh deluge of harassment.
“I learned how to turn a difficult life lesson into a positive one before it destroyed me forever,” Zambetti said. “Cyberbullying is a devastating epidemic that ruins lives, and in moments when it feels like your world is spiraling out of control, it’s important to remember you are not alone. You may think that you have Courtside Karen all figured out, but one night on the court doesn’t define me.”
TMX contributed to this story.
