Dove's 'Fat Liberation' Spokesperson And BLM Activist Launches GoFundMe Campaign For Safety

The GoFundMe campaign, created by Erica Chapman, a self-proclaimed cousin of Bryant, has already raised nearly $10,000. Chapman explained that Bryant has been receiving hate mail and threats for years, and the situation has recently escalated.

Bryant, a community organizer and student activist at the University of Virginia, has faced increasing threats since announcing her partnership with Dove. Chapman emphasized the need to ensure Bryant's safety so that she can continue her important work in the classroom and the community.

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The nature of the threats against Bryant remains unclear, as does the specific security measures she may be receiving. The Washington Post reached out to Bryant and Chapman for comment but has not received a response. The fundraiser, which aims to raise $15,000, has already surpassed the $10,000 mark. This initiative comes nearly a month after Bryant's announcement of her partnership with Dove in late August.

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In a video posted on her Instagram page, Bryant expressed her belief in centering the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. She explained that her idea of fat liberation involves amplifying the voices of those who navigate spaces and institutions in a fat body. Bryant encouraged others to share their stories using the hashtag #SizeFreedom and tagging @dove.

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September 25, 2023

However, it was later revealed that Bryant had been involved in a controversy regarding a white student, Morgan Bettinger, whom she allegedly tried to get expelled from the University of Virginia over comments she may have misheard. This revelation led to calls for a boycott of Dove products from several conservatives. Former FOX host Megyn Kelly also discussed the controversy on her podcast, criticizing Dove for partnering with Bryant, whom she described as a "deeply problematic person." Kelly accused Bryant of trying to ruin Bettinger's life by falsely claiming that she had made derogatory comments about black people during a Black Lives Matter protest.

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Elon Musk, billionaire entrepreneur, commented on the situation, describing it as "messed up." However, neither Dove nor its parent company, Unilever, have publicly addressed the controversy.

The saga began when Bettinger mistakenly drove down a street in Charlottesville where Black Lives Matter activists were protesting in the summer of 2020. She initially saw a dump truck partially blocking the road but continued driving because the street was not completely closed off. When she realized that the road was being blocked off, Bettinger decided to park her car and investigate. As she passed by, she had a brief conversation with the truck driver, during which she allegedly praised his efforts to block traffic by saying, "It's a good thing that you are here because otherwise these people would have been speed bumps." The truck driver later confirmed Bettinger's remark to local police.

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However, Bryant overheard part of the conversation and tweeted that Bettinger had said the protesters "would make 'good speedbumps.'" She also shared a video showing Bettinger backing down the street in her car while Bryant and other protesters followed. Bryant claimed that Bettinger called the police and falsely accused them of attacking her. The tweet quickly gained traction, and internet users identified Bettinger as the driver.

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Bettinger's social media posts in support of the police, as well as her late father's occupation as a police officer, further aggravated the situation. Bryant wasted no time in demanding that school administrators expel Bettinger, urging her followers to email UVA deans and demand consequences for Bettinger's actions. Bryant herself filed a complaint with the University Judiciary Committee, accusing Bettinger of threatening students' health and safety. The committee found Bettinger guilty of making a legitimate threat against the protesters, even though they couldn't prove Bryant's claims about her intentions. The committee's decision stated that even harmless words spoken during a protest warranted punishment.

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Bryant also filed a complaint with the school's Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, alleging that Bettinger had repeated the statement five times and had discriminated against her based on her race.

However, the EOCR office found that three of the five accusations could not be corroborated, and a report concluded that Bryant most likely did not hear Bettinger's comments firsthand, as no eyewitnesses could support her version of events. Despite graduating from UVA, Bettinger now carries a permanent mark on her record due to the incident.