U.S. gold medalist sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson said she is seeking “a certain level of help” in her first comments since her July 27 arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident at a Seattle airport.
Richardson, 25, shoved her boyfriend, U.S. sprinter Christian Coleman, multiple times at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as seen on security footage.
“More than anything, definitely a lot of self reflection, a lot of understanding of not only putting myself in a compromising situation with somebody that I have a deep care and appreciation for as well, is something that — holding myself accountable,” Richardson said in a minute-plus video posted to her Instagram Story late Monday night. “I’m taking this time to not only see myself but get myself a certain level of help that overall is going to reflect who I truly am in my heart and in my spirit and not allowing this moment, but accepting this moment to be more.
“So my only thing is, I want to be more — not just only for myself, for my family, my fans. I overly appreciate y’all supporting me and showing love and even holding me accountable to being my best self. So more than anything, I refused to run away … but face everything that comes to me head-on because everything on the other side is greater but you gotta go through in order to get there.”
Richardson, who won a gold in the 4x100m relay and a silver in the 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, allegedly had a fiery argument with Coleman that turned physical last month, per The Athletic.
An officer looked at security footage that showed Richardson allegedly grab Coleman’s backpack and pull it, before she purportedly shoved him into a wall while he tried to evade her.
The footage revealed that Richardson shoved Coleman multiple times.
Richardson also “appeared” to throw what may have been headphones at Coleman, according to the Associated Press, and she was arrested on a fourth-degree domestic violence assault.
Richardson spent roughly 19 hours at the SCORE South Correctional Entity, and The Athletic reported earlier this month that the case had been cleared by the Port of Seattle Police Department.
Coleman, 29, did not press charges and “declined to be a victim,” per the AP.
He felt his girlfriend of more than two years should not have been arrested.
“For me personally, I feel like it was a sucky situation all round,” Coleman said on Aug. 3. “I don’t feel like she should have been arrested. I mean people have discussions and emotions and stuff like that. She has things that she needs to work on for herself, of course. So do I, so do you, so does everybody.
“But I’m the type of guy who’s in the business of extending grace, and mercy and love. I hate the narrative too … its so negative. In the state of Seattle, even talking to the cop to whatever, he was like, ‘There is really nothing I can do.’”
He added: “She just has a lot of things going on, a lot of emotions and forces going on inside of her that not only I can’t understand, but nobody can because she’s one of one. And I’m one of one too… She’s going to be just fine. I’m going to be good too. So, it is what it is.”
Richardson competed at the 2025 U.S. track. and field championships following the arrest, ultimately withdrawing from the 100-meter and finishing fourth in her 200-meter heat.
She missed out on the rescheduled 2020 Olympics in 2021 due to a positive marijuana test.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
