After gold medal, Shaun calls harassment claims ‘gossip’

press materials mention overcoming battles with depression and substance abuse.

Wednesday, when the question about the lawsuit was being asked and the reporter butchered Zawaideh’s first name, White politely corrected him. “Lena,” he said respectfully. But then for the first time all week, on or off the mountain, the three-time gold medalist made a mistake. Slipped on the ice.

“Honestly,” White said, “I’m here to talk about the Olympics, not, you know, gossip and stuff.”

Maybe it was an innocent blunder wrought by mental fatigue from four straight hours of cameras and questions. Or maybe the true id of an entitled, manipulative athlete was escaping from a meticulously manicured facade. Either way, there was fire in the snow. “Before Mr. White made his comment, Ms. Zawaideh believed that this matter was in the past, and she was happy to put the situation behind her,” her attorney, Lawrance Bohm, said in a statement emailed to media. “Unfortunately, by his recent comments and conduct, Mr. White has minimized the problem of sexual harassment in this country … No woman wants to be called a ‘gossip’ or a liar by the harasser. Minimizing sexual harassment maximizes the harm to Ms. Zawaideh.”

White quickly grabbed a mop and went on NBC’s “Today,” a show itself ravaged by the alleged sexual harassment transgressions of former host Matt Lauer. “I’m truly sorry that I chose the word gossip,” White said. “It was a poor choice of words to describe such a sensitive subject in the world today.” Then came a statement to the New York Times: “I regret my behavior of many years ago and am sorry that I made anyone – particularly someone I considered a friend – uncomfortable. I have grown and changed as a person, as we all grow and change, and am proud of who I am today.” Will it be enough? Should it be? The circumstances of scandal – the motivation of a lawsuit over money, the timing by rival television networks, the earnestness of his contrition – don’t matter to most people, nor should they. The string of text messages is enough, especially in the current climate, to paint an ugly picture of crossing lines, of abusing power, of aberrant behavior.

After his final run at Phoenix Snow Park, White waited at the bottom of the halfpipe for his scores. He said it felt like “an eternity,” and he admitted worrying that he might be penalized for his past.

“I can’t help but think that sometimes when I go out and ride,” White said, “I’m expected to be the best and the greatest in the sport and I’m expected to do these flawless runs – perfect 100 runs all the time. I can’t help but wonder if they’re going to nitpick my run because of that. Sometimes I feel like I can be scored against myself.” is marks flashed on the video screen. The snowboard judges gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Now White anxiously awaits a different set of scores, from the judges of public opinion. They might not be so generous.

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