Kysre Gondrezick made history as the first Black professional athlete to become a Playboy playmate when she was selected as the June 2025 cover star. However, in an interview on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, she shared why she believes that her being in Playboy made some people uncomfortable.
“We’re in a position now where we’re being offered the same resources and opportunities as our male counterparts,” she said.
“That’s uncomfortable, I think, for people because of the new time that we’re in," she continued. "There has been a stereotype when it comes to women that we’ve always just supposed to take the background, and just take care of the foundation, and that we can’t build our own, right?”
She mentioned her former teammate, Angel Reese, who also made history as being the first professional athlete to walk at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this year and while it's an honor to break barriers, it still comes at the price of getting backlash from critics.
“People aren’t ready to embrace that yet,” she said. “They’re not even giving us permission to be able to embrace it. Like, while Angel has done Victoria’s Secret—and I can’t speak upon her—as I have done PlayBoy, I’m sure she can relate.
"Or anyone else that is breaking barriers, we’re still learning who we are as well. We’re still learning how to break barriers and become comfortable with everything that comes with it. … Hopefully I’m paving the way for girls who never thought it would be possible.”
Gondrezick is currently a free agent, and she previously played for the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky.
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