Noah Lyles’s Wife Responds To Wedding Video Backlash
I’m sure you know Noah Lyles, world champion sprinter and Olympic gold medalist.
And the only thing better than one Olympian is two Olympians. So, on April 4, Noah tied the knot with his longtime partner, Jamaican track and field star Junelle Bromfield – or Junelle Lyles, as she is now known.
The wedding was beautiful and was very well documented on Noah and Junelle’s social media. However, there is one moment in the festivities that gets more attention than anything else.
Among all the content, the couple recently shared a video of Noah seeing Junelle in her wedding dress for the first time. And while it’s still a very sweet moment, it’s safe to say that Noah’s “first look” reaction left viewers a little divided.
You can watch the full clip here, but long story short, Noah turns to face his fiancée, steps back and hesitates before saying, “Oh, wow, OK. Oh wow, I didn’t think you’d go with the princess dress.”
The video has racked up millions of views online and comments are a lot. Many took issue with the fact that Noah didn’t immediately give Junelle a compliment, even after she made a point of telling him how nervous she was. Instead, he started talking about how the day was going to be “super fun” and how “good” all the guests looked.
“No one expects him to immediately get on his knees, sob and say that she is beautiful and that he is the luckiest man ever,” one Reddit user wrote. “[But] his first sentences were criticism… Even the tone of “oh wow” is not an “oh wow you are beautiful and incredible”, but “oh wow…”. It’s a lot…'”
However, others took a more open view of the situation, pointing out that “not everyone expresses their emotions in the same way.”
More broadly, it sparked a conversation about social media and how “not every moment should be posted for content” unless you’re prepared for viewers to “pick them apart and assume the worst.”
And now Junelle has spoken out on the matter, providing critics with some context on what they “didn’t see” behind the camera.
In a two-minute TikTok video, Junelle explained that she was going through “a lot” the morning of the wedding, as she had just learned that a number of her closest friends and family would not be able to attend due to visa issues. After getting ready, Junelle said she was “overstimulated” and “holding back tears,” so they decided to film the “first look” video with Noah to cheer him up before the ceremony.
So, with that in mind, Junelle said Noah’s reaction in that moment was “exactly what I needed” because “he tried to get me to talk.” “If he hadn’t done it, I probably would have been left out of the whole wedding because I was so disappointed, mentally and emotionally,” she explained. “So what he gave, I really appreciate it.”
She also said that Noah’s shocked reaction to the dress came from the fact that she usually opted for more fitted, body-hugging styles. “He was surprised that I was wearing a princess dress,” she said, noting that it was something they had already talked about before the big day. “He liked it.”
