In the days that have passed since a viral moment shook the sports world — one where an angry Philadelphia Phillies fan, deeming a home-run ball that landed in the stands to be hers, yelled at another gentleman who had given it to his son and urged him to give it back to her — internet sleuths have been on the move, trying to identify the woman known in online circles as "Phillies Karen."
Two names — those of Cheryl Richardson-Wagner and Leslie-Ann Kravitz — have been circulated as potential identifiers for "Phillies Karen." Both turned out to be false alarms. Richardson-Wagner came forward on Facebook to say she is neither "Phillies Karen" nor a Phillies fan (her favorite team is the Boston Red Sox); while there were unsubstantiated claims that Kravitz worked as an administrator at the Hammonton School District in New Jersey, the school district has since confirmed that is not the case.
While the hunt for "Phillies Karen" continues, Drew Feltwell, the father at the center of the viral incident, believes the online abuse the woman has received has gone too far.
Feltwell urges fans, social media users to stop directing negativity towards 'Phillies Karen'
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports on Sept. 8, Feltwell shared the uneasiness he felt about "Phillies Karen's" safety after all the negativity that has been directed towards her online.
"Please don't do anything to that lady," Feltwell said. "Leave it alone. You know, somebody knows her and can talk to her, that's different. But God, I don't want people breaking in their house and stuff like that. The internet already messed her up pretty good."
Feltwell acknowledged that the woman was on the wrong side of the situation, but even he believes that the weight of her unsavory actions wasn't equal to the onslaught of hateful messages she has received.
"I could say something like she got what she deserved, but I don't know if she deserved that much," Feltwell said.
Unfortunately for Feltwell, those kinds of messages will likely continue to rain down on "Phillies Karen," even after her identity has been revealed.