U.S. track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson took to social media on Monday to break her silence after she was arrested and charged in connection with a domestic violence incident against her boyfriend, Christian Coleman.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the July 27 incident occurred at the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, and footage showed Richardson, 25, appearing to get physical with Coleman, who is also a sprinter.
She was ultimately arrested and charged with fourth-degree domestic violence assault. She was released after 19 hours, per the New York Post. The Athletic also reported that Coleman opted not to press charges and “declined to be a victim.”
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Richardson on Monday apologized to Coleman, 29, and expressed her love to him in a post on her Instagram stories. She further praised him for the positive influence he had brought into her life.
“I apologize to Christian. He came into my life and gave me more than a relationship but a greater understanding of unconditional love from what I’ve experienced in my past. Due to past trauma and pain,” she wrote.
“I was blind and blocked off to not only receive it but give it. I love him and to him I can’t apologize enough. My apologize [sic] should be just as loud as my actions honestly louder. To Christian I love you and I am so sorry.”
Richardson also addressed the incident in a video, stating that she was going to get help. “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 my spirit and not allowing this moment – but accepting this moment – to be more,” she said, per The Guardian.
The Olympic gold medalist expressed gratitude to everyone who held her accountable for her actions. “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,” she said.
“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.”
In the wake of the incident, Coleman in an interview with Citius Mag at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships said that he didn’t feel like Richardson should have been arrested.
“For me personally, I feel like it was a sucky situation all round,” Coleman said. “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.’”
“I understood… but she’s a great human being and a great person,” Coleman added. “We’ve been able to be a really good teammates all year. And I hate that narrative too because us coming together, we’re just two dominant personalities. And she is, to me, the greatest female athlete in the world. I see it everyday.
“… 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.”
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