Ellen DeGeneres Posts Meme With Olympian Usain Bolt, Responds To Racism Accusations

Ellen DeGeneres posted a meme of herself with Usain Bolt that proved inflammatory on Twitter. The TV host and comedian has since responded to the backlash.

Ellen DeGeneres Usain Bolt Meme

Bolt won the 100m race Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, marking the third time that the Jamiacan runner had won the gold in the Olympic event. During the race, a picture was taken of a smiling Bolt easily outpacing his competition. Many took to social media to make memes with the picture – including DeGeneres.

DeGeneres’ meme was photoshopped to feature her getting a piggyback ride from the sprinting Bolt. She captioned the image, “This is how I’m running errands from now on.”

Though the host’s tweet was likely posted with no ill-intent, some believed that it was racially insensitive.

Others defended the comedian, pointing out that DeGeneres’ tweet was merely a comment on Bolt’s speed.

DeGeneres responded to the backlash Tuesday, tweeting, “I am highly aware of the racism that exists in our country. It is the furthest thing from who I am.”