Getty US skier Lindsey Vonn, winner of the Laureus Spirt of Sport Award, on February 18, 2019.
Lindsey Vonn, the skiing champion and former Olympian, intentionally shared her phone number on Twitter and is encouraging her fans to reach out to her.
Vonn, 34, surprised the Twitter world when she wrote on July 3, “Want to text me? I got this new number and now I can text my fans directly! Social media is great but it’s not as personal as texting. I can’t get back to everyone but you’ll get something special I promise?? 970-471-7878 #textme”
Here’s what you need to know.
Fans Assumed Lindsey Vonn’s Account Had Been Hacked, But She Reassured Followers in a Video That She Had Shared the Phone Number on Purpose
It’s real. Text me 970-471-7878
Many stunned fans assumed Vonn’s account had been hacked after her phone number was shared for her one million followers, and the rest of the world, to see. Some fans asked if they could text her from outside the United States, and one even asked if she would accept a marriage proposal.
Minutes after posting the first message, Vonn followed up with a video to reassure followers that she had in fact intentionally tweeted her phone number. She said, “Guys, I did not get hacked. I just texted, tweeted my phone number. So text me. It’s only for my fans, for my true fans. If you’re not, then you probably just shouldn’t bother. Bye!”
Lindsey Vonn Appears to Have Set Up an Automatic Reply Until She Can Respond Personally to Texts
A few Twitter users who claimed to have texted Lindsey Vonn shared screengrabs of the response they reportedly received from her. It appears that she set up an automatic message so that everyone receives a reply until Vonn can respond personally.
The message reads, “Hey it’s LV! I’m really excited to be able to text you directly. I love my fans and sharing my life with you! Now you can always get ahold of me. Just make sure you click the link and add yourself to my phone so I can respond to you.”
Some users commented that Vonn was potentially exposing herself to a lot of spam and messages from creepy people. @TheKevWhale wrote, “I sure hope this medium your using can’t receive pictures. For your sake.”
@CenTexAg responded with a meme of a person getting hit in the face with a bunch of hot dogs and wrote, “I have a feeling you might regret this… Hope not tho.”
@AlecJ24 was among several Twitter users who questioned whether Vonn had really meant to share her number, writing, “Are you being held hostage or something?”
Lindsey Vonn Shared That She & Boyfriend P. K. Subban Were Enjoying Read Through the Texts
I’ve gotten so many texts from fans it’s so cool. Thanks everyone! @PKSubban1 was having fun with it too lol
Lindsey Vonn does not appear to have any immediate regrets about sharing her phone number with the world. A few hours after the original post, she tweeted “I’ve gotten so many texts from fans it’s so cool. Thanks everyone!”
She added that her boyfriend, P. K. Subban, a pro hockey player who was recently traded from the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils, was also “having fun” looking at the text messages too.
Vonn has not always had pleasant experiences dealing with online exposure. In 2017, a hacker broke into her phone and stole nude photos of her and ex-boyfriend Tiger Woods. She dated the pro golfer for two years before they called it quits in 2015.
Lindsey Vonn retired from skiing earlier this year with more wins under her belt than any other female skier in history. Her accolades include 82 World Cup championships and she was the first American woman to win a gold medal in the downhill event at the Olympics.
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Lindsey Vonn Tweeted Her Phone Number on Purpose