Photo: Getty Images
The beef between Angel Reese and Robert Griffin III has heated up after the former NFL quarterback doubled down on his claim that the WNBA star "hates" Caitlin Clark.
On Thursday (July 10), Griffin shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, where he initially appeared to be calling out racism against Reese after she was named a cover athlete for NBA 2K26. A photoshopped image of the cover circulated with Reese depicted as a monkey.
"Alright. This has got to stop. There is no place for racism in this world. Whether you like a player or not. Angel Reese should never be called or depicted as a Monkey," Griffin began his post.
However, in the same post, Griffin went on to fuel the narrative that Reese "hates" Clark, saying his claim was confirmed by people in the Chicago Sky star's "inner circle."
"People in Angel’s inner circle called me and told me I was right and Angel Reese has grown to hate Caitlin Clark because of the media always asking her about Caitlin and being constantly compared to her," Griffin said. "Some people made it about race, but I never did and never will. Instead of becoming the villain in anyone’s story, I decided to just not."
Reese responded to Griffin's post, saying he was "lying for clout" about speaking to people in her inner circle.
“Lying on this app when everybody know the first and last name of everybody in my circle for clout is nastyyyy work,” Reese wrote on X.
Griffin initially claimed in May that Reese "hated" Clark after the former Iowa star fouled the former LSU Tiger during their WNBA matchup. He received widespread backlash for his comments, including from fellow sports commentator Ryan Clark, who suggested that Griffin didn't understand the experiences of Black women due to his relationships with white women.
Clark later apologized for his comments, but again chimed in on Griffin and Reese's beef on Thursday, siding with the WNBA star.
“Desperation will force you to make things up! It’s ok to take the L & move on some times. Lying just makes it worse,” Clark tweeted.
In follow-up posts, Griffin doubled down on speaking with Reese's inner circle and said he wasn't going to change his take to "protect feelings." He also called on everyone to unite despite having a difference in opinion.
“We need more people ready to build bridges between us and not walls to divide us,” Griffin said. “The only way to find unity is talking through our differences in opinion and life experiences to find the best way forward.”
The dispute even caught the attention of Bernice King, the daughter of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., who suggested Griffin take his own advice and talk to Reese personally instead of posting about her online.
“I agree,” King said. “That’s why I suggest you call Angel Reese and stop posting about her.”
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