Gwen Berry Photo Proudly Displaying American Flag Resurfaces Amid Anthem Controversy

An old photo of Olympic athlete Gwen Berry proudly holding the American flag has resurfaced amid her national anthem controversy. Originally posted to her website in June 2015, the image shows the two-time Olympic-qualifying athlete shows Berry, beaming with joy, holding the American flag behind her with her arms outstretched. The image was reportedly taken after she represented the country at the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to Fox News.

The photo, resurfaced by internet sleuths, has spurred plenty of discussion online after Berry protested the flag last week. Reacting to the image, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, “Totally not all an act! She was definitely not protesting to get attention for herself and/or maybe some of those woke Nike sponsorship dollars.” He added that the image was “100% legit and not at all a cottage industry victimization scheme we see so much of these days.” Conservative author Brigitte Gabriel said the image “looks like her entire ‘Activist Athlete’ bit is an act,” with political commentator Nick Adams, president of Flag USA, writing that it “looks like the American flag didn’t offend Gwen Berry a few years ago…”

The photo resurfaced just a week after Berry made headlines when she turned away from the American flag when the national anthem started to play during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. Standing on the podium after receiving her bronze medal in the hammer throw, Berry turned so that she was facing the stands rather than the flag. She also placed a shirt reading “Activist Athlete” over her head. In a statement to USA Today Sports, the athlete said her actions were to bring attention to systemic racism and police brutality.

“Sports is entertainment. But my purpose and my voice and my mission is bigger than the sport,” she said. “So me being able to represent my communities and my people, and those who have died at the hands of police brutality, those who have died (due) to this systemic racism – I feel like that’s the important part.”

The outlet noted that Berry did not violate any official US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) rules. Last December, the body informed athletes that those who peacefully protest or demonstrate at the Tokyo Olympics will not be punished. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has upheld the Rule 50 ban preventing athletes from protesting or demonstrating. As for if she plans to perform a similar action of protest at the Tokyo OIympics, Berry told CNN’s Don Lemon, “it depends on how I’m feeling. It depends on what I want to do in that moment, and what I want to do for my people in that moment. And I will do whatever comes upon me and whatever is in my heart.”