Snoop Dogg’s high-profile presence at the Winter Olympics has drawn cameras and crowds — and now, a complaint from a decorated gold medalist.
According to the New York Post, Dutch speed skating icon Marianne Timmer said she had a tense encounter with members of the rapper’s security team while working as a media commentator at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
The three-time Olympic champion said the incident happened after the women’s 1,000-meter event as she waited near a wall to interview athletes.
“I was standing against a wall, and one of the security guards pushed me even closer,” Timmer told Sportnieuws. “I said, ‘Just act normal,’ it’s a really wide hall, about four meters. But then the guy came back, and I said, ‘What? Do I have to go through that wall or something?’”
Timmer said the interaction didn’t end there.
Following her remark, she said the guards returned and “started acting all up against me.” She added that she saw another person being “roughly escorted” out of the venue and worried she could be next.
“I could just picture myself being grabbed by the neck and thrown out. That would have been a great story,” she said.
Snoop Dogg is in Milan serving as an “honorary coach” for Team USA, a role the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced in a press release. According to the committee, he is meant to “lend his signature humor and heart to help motivate Team USA athletes.”
“Team USA athletes are the real stars — I’m just here to cheer, uplift and maybe drop a little wisdom from the sidelines,” Snoop Dogg said in the release. “This team represents the best of what sport can be: talent, heart, and hustle. If I can bring a little more love and motivation to that, that’s a win for me.”
The rapper has been a visible presence throughout the Games, carrying the Olympic flame, appearing at multiple events, and even trying out sports such as curling. He has also contributed as a broadcaster for NBC.
Team USA entered the week with 13 total medals, including four golds, ranking third overall.
But while the on-ice results have been positive, Timmer’s account suggests the atmosphere around the celebrity coach has not been without friction.
