Jess Carter, the England defender, revealed that she felt too intimidated to leave her hotel room during Euro 2025 after receiving racist messages on social media. The abusive posts targeted the 28-year-old centre-back on her TikTok account, with one message suggesting people of brown skin were "murderers" and "groomers".
The messages came from a man named Nigel Dewale, who pleaded guilty to sending the posts. His case is ongoing but Carter claimed she had previously experienced "a lot of racial abuse" since the tournament started. Despite her team-mates rallying around her during the competition, Carter said she felt her confidence was knocked hugely after receiving the racist messages.
Carter now plays for Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League and believes the women's game is becoming more complicated due to the growing online presence of supporters. She expressed frustration that players are no longer able to express themselves freely on social media without facing abuse, stating that "you can't just walk around the street being whoever you want to be" anymore.
Carter has stated that police and social media companies need to work together more effectively to tackle online abuse. However, she admitted it's challenging to eradicate completely. Carter is now considering her future in football based on where she'll feel happiest for herself and her family.
The incident highlighted the increasing severity of online harassment faced by female players. Carter believes the women's game is losing its "kindness" and becoming more divided due to the worsening reaction on social media.
The messages came from a man named Nigel Dewale, who pleaded guilty to sending the posts. His case is ongoing but Carter claimed she had previously experienced "a lot of racial abuse" since the tournament started. Despite her team-mates rallying around her during the competition, Carter said she felt her confidence was knocked hugely after receiving the racist messages.
Carter now plays for Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League and believes the women's game is becoming more complicated due to the growing online presence of supporters. She expressed frustration that players are no longer able to express themselves freely on social media without facing abuse, stating that "you can't just walk around the street being whoever you want to be" anymore.
Carter has stated that police and social media companies need to work together more effectively to tackle online abuse. However, she admitted it's challenging to eradicate completely. Carter is now considering her future in football based on where she'll feel happiest for herself and her family.
The incident highlighted the increasing severity of online harassment faced by female players. Carter believes the women's game is losing its "kindness" and becoming more divided due to the worsening reaction on social media.
this is so messed up, someone like that needs to get held accountable 
their words are literally poison and it's not okay for anyone to be targeted like that 
but at the same time i feel bad for Jess being in a situation where she has to deal with that level of hate every day. she's trying to do her job but people just can't seem to respect her boundaries 
i think it's really brave of her to speak out about this and say something needs to change 
the whole thing is just so frustrating, especially when you think about how hard women are already working to be seen and heard in football 
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. It's not okay for people to send her racist messages or tell her she's not good enough just because of her skin color or where she's from. That kind of abuse needs to stop ASAP 
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. We need more people speaking out against online harassment and creating a safe space for everyone to express themselves without fear of being bullied or attacked 
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. We need more players like her who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight for a more inclusive and supportive environment 
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. I think it's wild that she's having to consider her future in football because of online abuse - shouldn't we just be able to play the game without being judged or harassed 24/7?! 
I'm all for taking a stand against racism, but can't we just have a more positive online community where players can express themselves freely without fear of backlash? 
It's not too much to ask, right?! 
. As a retiree, I've seen the game change so much over the years, but I wish we could go back to a time when sports were all about kindness and respect. Now, I'm worried that Jess and others like her will have to think twice before sharing their thoughts or feelings online... it's just too much pressure 
, the England defender who got bullied on TikTok 
. The fact that she felt too scared to leave her hotel room after receiving those racist messages is just heartbreaking 
. I feel for all women players out there who have to deal with online abuse 
. Social media companies gotta step up their game and work w/ the police to tackle this issue 
. We can't just sit back and let online abuse ruin lives 
.