The skater admits the truth | Photo: Video/ABC News
We all know him: Dancing with the Stars hero, a Time 100 honoree, and, of course, America’s Sweetheart. Is there anything figure skater Adam Rippon can’t do?
Well, apparently that last one isn’t… entirely genuine.
In an ABC video, fellow Olympian Gus Kenworthy interview Rippon.
In one question, Kenworthy asked: ‘During the Olympics, you were dubbed America’s Sweetheart. Who gave you that nickname? Are you America’s Sweetheart? What have you done to live up to that title?’
‘Here’s the thing,’ Rippon replies, cocking his head a little as his hands fidget in his lap.
‘I gave myself that title.’
A place of power
Kenworthy immediately responds: ‘I figured.’
However, Rippon’s reasoning for giving himself the title is more endearing than you might think.
‘I gave myself that title because I was like, you know, I feel in a very powerful place right now,’ he explains. ‘I’m going to say that I’m America’s Sweetheart once and see what happens.
‘I said it once in a press conference. Then I did something on the news and I could read on the screen, it said: “America’s Sweetheart, Adam Rippon.” And then I knew… you’d arrived.’
Regardless of who gave him the nickname, he’s clearly earned it over the last several months. He’s definitely America’s Sweetheart in our eyes.
It’s about human decency
In another clip from the same interview, the two also discuss their decision not to go to the White House.
Rippon simply states: ‘This is different because this isn’t politics aside. This is about human decency first.’
He then cites various of the administration’s stances, such as the trans military ban and the travel ban, and says that at some point, they need to speak up and user their voices.
