Gold medal gymnast Suni Lee says she was the victim of an anti-Asian attack.
In an interview with PopSugar, Lee said that she and her friends were waiting for an Uber when a group of people in a car started yelling racist slurs.
Lee said they told her and her friends to "go back where they came from" and used slurs like "ching chong."
"I was so mad, but there was nothing I could do or control because they skirted off," Lee told PopSugar.
Lee said a passenger sprayed her arm with pepper spray.
"I didn't do anything to them, and having the reputation, it's so hard because I didn't want to do anything that could get me into trouble. I just let it happen," she said.
Lee's experience is not uncommon. Anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise.
Citing FBI data, NBC News reports that anti-Asian hate crimes were up by more than 73% in 2020.
