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"It's such bullying and it's so unnecessary, and this woman did nothing wrong."
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue editor has defended Naomi Osaka after Megyn Kelly criticized the tennis star for her S.I. cover shoot.
During an interview with People on Tuesday, M.J. Day called out the conservative commentator for "bullying" Osaka after Kelly questioned why Osaka would do the photo shoot, plus other magazine interviews, after refusing to speak to media at the French Open over concerns of her mental health.
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Naomi Osaka Tells Megyn Kelly to 'Do Better' After Criticizing Sports Illustrated Cover
View StoryAfter Day pointed out that the S.I. covers were shot months before Osaka revealed her struggles, she added, "It's such bullying and it's so unnecessary, and this woman did nothing wrong. I'm like, 'You know what, you're journalists. How about you do your job and you fact check instead of jumping all over this woman for attention?'"
"How about we do our due diligence and make sure we know what the reality of a situation before we come for people."
At the time of Kelly's social media attack, Osaka agreed with Day's sentiment, retweeting Kelly and writing, "Seeing as you're a journalist I would've assumed you would take the time to research what the lead times are for magazines, if you did that you would've found out I shot all of my covers last year."
She then added, "do better Megan [sic]."
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Tennis Superstar Naomi Osaka Officially Has Her Own Barbie Doll
View StoryOsaka eventually deleted the message and apparently went on to block Kelly altogether. Megyn shared a screenshot of the alleged blocking to her own page, adding, "Poor @naomiosaka blocked me while taking a shot at me (guess she's only tough on the courts). She is apparently arguing that she shot her many covers b/4 publicly claiming she was too socially anxious to deal w/press. Truth is she just doesn't like Qs she can’t control. Admit it."
"It broke my heart to see someone who is really living her life for the betterment of others while also trying to pursue her own passion, which is tennis and fashion," Day said of Osaka on Tuesday. "Let her live. Let her make decisions for herself that protect her own wellbeing. It's at no cost to anyone."
