Furious fans rally to Megan Thee Stallion after breakup with Klay Thompson

Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson are seen on July 16 in New York City, their first public confirmation of their relationship. XNY/Star Max/GC Images/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

Alarm and outrage reverberated around the internet Saturday as people across the U.S. tried to process shocking news: Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson were over. And not just over; Megan posted a message on Instagram about the sharpshooting NBA star that opened with the word “Cheating.”

The widely beloved rapper, born Megan Pete, went on to write that Thompson, the four-time NBA champion now playing for the Dallas Mavericks, “got ‘cold feet.’

“Holding you down through all your HORRIBLE mood swings and treatment towards me during your basketball season now you don’t know if you can be ‘monogamous’????” Megan wrote. “I need a REAL break after this one .. bye yall.”

Thompson has not publicly commented and he did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment. In a statement to CNN, Megan confirmed that she “made the decision to end my relationship” with Thompson.

“Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward,” she said. “I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”

When Thompson and Megan first announced their relationship last July, many fans were thrilled.

Throughout her time in the public eye, Megan had gone through serious hardship. Early in her career, her mother and grandmother both died in the same month.

In 2020, her fellow musician Tory Lanez shot her multiple times in the feet, which led to Lanez’s conviction two years later for assault, and ignited criticism along the way about the ways Black women’s safety is often disregarded.

There were also legal battles with her old record label, and another relationship with the rapper Pardison Fontaine, who Megan also accused of infidelity. (Pardison Fontaine later admitted to hiding text messages but claimed he never physically cheated.)

All of this adversity led to her 2023 song “Cobra,” which begins with: “Every night I cried, I almost died / And nobody close tried to stop it.”

From the public’s perspective, Thompson was seemingly an answer to her troubles. Megan posted videos of the two working out together, eating catfish and spaghetti, and going fishing — sweet moments that won the hearts of fans. “I’m so happy for her!” one user wrote on Reddit at the time. “She’s going to get treated like she deserves!”

The announcement of the breakup ruined those hopes and reactivated a fanbase sworn to defend Megan. Within an hour, posts on X, Instagram and TikTok defending her and threatening Thompson were everywhere, brimming with the type of vitriol reserved for betrayals of close friends. People made compilations of Thompson’s worst moments on the basketball court, tried to curse his knee, and flooded his Instagram with threats.

“I’m tryna figure out ways to fry Klay Thompson’s ACL like a chicken gizzard,” one popular video went.

“defending megan thee stallion on the internet is not enough we need policy change,” one X user wrote. “the law should protect her against her enemies idk.”

And above a report about President Donald Trump’s evacuation from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, one user responded: “nobody gives a sh** rn we’re all concerned about megan.”

Offline, after the breakup announcement, fans cheered extra hard following Megan’s performance in “Moulin Rouge!” on Broadway. As screams of “we love you” rose from the crowd, the rapper turned to wipe away tears.

For fans who see Megan as a voice of power and possibility, her breakup and the accompanying accusations provided further proof of dating’s futility. If people won’t even treat Megan Thee Stallion right, what chance does anyone else have?

“This why noooo celebrities will ever be my relationship goals 😭,” wrote the Chicago Sky star DiJonai Carrington.

Hardcore and casual fans alike seemingly want to see Megan prevail. Her social media continues to fill with messages of support, reassurance, and calls to “ride at dawn.” If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, what about an entire audience?