England’s Jess Carter refuses to let online abuse keep her from speaking out

Jess Carter says she might never be able to process all of the emotions she experienced this summer.

The English defender was subjected to online racist abuse during the Women’s European Championship. The distress caused by the abuse was followed by joy when the Lionesses won the Euros and Carter triumphantly lifted the trophy with her teammates after a penalty shootout with Spain.

Carter skipped the team’s celebratory parade in London and instead rushed back to the United States to rejoin her club team, Gotham FC, in the National Women’s Soccer League.

“I think I’ve said it a few times about not really knowing how to properly process the summer, because it was just so crazy. And I just came straight back to Gotham and didn’t have the time to think about it too much,” she said. “But I’m sure once the end of the season comes and everything’s just silent, I’ll probably realize what a crazy journey I’ve been on.”

In the midst of the abuse, Carter stepped away from social media. But she didn’t want hate to win. And she wasn’t going to be a victim.

“I think something like this is we need to continue to speak out about, otherwise it doesn’t stop people. When you don’t speak out about it, people just move on from it really quickly,” Carter said. “A lot of the criticism I’ve received post-tournament is, ‘Oh, why are you still talking about it?’ Because it still happens day in and day out.”

Players across sports are facing racist, sexist and threatening abuse. Social media platforms have struggled with moderation and protecting individuals from harassment. The problem has been exacerbated by the proliferation of legalized sports betting.

Some of soccer’s biggest stars have been targeted, including Vinícius Júnior, Marcus Rashford and Kylian Mbappé. England’s Alessia Russo eschewed all social media during the 2023 Women’s World Cup to protect her mental health, and Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw pulled out of a February match with her club team, Manchester City, because of abuse.

In Carter’s case, two men have since been arrested in the U.K. on suspicion of malicious communications.

“Sometimes when I have that little bit of doubt of `OK, should we stop? Should we move on?’ I think those are reminders to me to actually continue talking about it and work with organizations to try and put in better protocols to help. Because no player or person should ever have to face those situations,” Carter said.

Carter, 27, came to Gotham in July 2024 following a six-year stint with Chelsea, where she played under current U.S. national team coach Emma Hayes.

While with Chelsea, she played on a formidable backline with Millie Bright and won five Women’s Super League titles and three FA Cups.

Carter has appeared in 51 matches for England. In addition to this summer’s Euros, she was on the squad that won the tournament in 2022. She also played for the English team that went to the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.

She was named to England’s squad for a pair of upcoming matches against Brazil and Australia later this month.

Carter has been challenging herself to speak out more frequently and step out of her comfort zone. A fierce defender on the field, she has always been more private and laid back off it.

So a recent “Show Yourself” campaign with e.l.f. Cosmetics, one of the NWSL’s sponsors, was a bit uncharacteristic. It even surprised Carter, who admits to not being much of a makeup wearer. But it was one way to step out of her comfort zone, and, perhaps, reclaim her power.

“Normally, I’m not someone who shies away from attention, so I wouldn’t say it’s a new Jess, but I think that, especially here in the U.S., I’m still relatively new here and trying to pave a way for myself here and show more of who I am outside of being a footballer,” she said. “So I hope it continues, and that people get to see more of who I am, rather than just a footballer, and I can maybe inspire a few people to be themselves and do what they love.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer