Claire Lehmann Flasely Claimed Flo Jo Died From Drug Abuse
The Claim
Flo Jo died in her sleep as a result of a drug overdose.
News posted on
Emerging story
An Australian journalist and founding editor of Quillette Magazine, Claire Lehmann, claimed that popular black American track and field athlete Florence Griffith Joyner died due to a drug overdose. The tweet has so far been retweeted more than 6000 times and liked by more than 1000 individuals.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found the circulating false. The tweet, despite reports to the contrary, has not been brought down by the reporter despite reports to contrary Many black Americans have lashed out at her on Twitter, saying the tweet thread is borne out of a profoundly racist mindset.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Olympic sprint champion died in her sleep after suffering an epileptic seizure at 38, according to autopsy results. Her epileptic condition was congenital, which means she had been suffering from it since birth.
A 1998 report from the New York Times quotes Dr. Richard Fukumoto, the chief forensic pathologist for the Orange County, California, coroner’s office, saying, “The seizure was caused by a congenital abnormality of blood vessels in her brain called cavernous angioma.’’
Claire also alleges in the thread that Flo Jo’s nails, which made her famous during her time on the track, are a side effect of steroid use. However, many were quick to point her to the fact that the nails were fake making her allegations baseless.
This is not the first time the reporter has been caught tweeting thoughts on racist notions. According to News One, her outlet has been known as the voice of the “intellectual dark web.”
Flo Jo won three gold medals during the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the 100, 200, and 4x100 meters race. She died on September 21, 1998, and was never known to have failed a drug test during her illustrious career on the track.
