"Erica Stoll, McIlroy's wife of eight years, was the victim of unsavory fan behavior over the Ryder Cup weekend. Beer was thrown at her, and crowds were chanting the name of a woman McIlroy was rumored to have dated while the couple were briefly split. As public figures, athletes are accustomed to rowdy fans. (The five-time major winner himself endured chants of "F- you, Rory" through his first tee.) But what happens when their partners become targets of the pandemonium?"
"Last month, model Brooks Nader was the talk of the U.S. Open for allegedly dating both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. In August, Georgina Rodriguez, the longtime girlfriend of Christiano Ronaldo and mother to his five children, made headlines with her monstrosity of an engagement ring (an estimated 35-carat, no less). There's TikToker Alix Earle with Houston wide receiver Braxton Berrios, influencer Alexandra Saint Mleux with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc."
Rory McIlroy expressed visible frustration after fans targeted his wife, Erica Stoll, during the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage. Beer was thrown at her and crowds chanted the name of a woman McIlroy was rumored to have dated during a brief split, while McIlroy himself endured hostile chants. Athlete partners increasingly become targets of fan pandemonium and harassment. WAGs now occupy central roles in sports culture, moving beyond tabloids into mainstream celebrity through social media and media franchises. High-profile examples include Brooks Nader, Georgina Rodriguez, Alix Earle, Alexandra Saint Mleux, and Taylor Swift. WAG visibility affects sports marketing, fan behavior, and athlete privacy.
Read at InsideHook
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]