Snoop Dogg brought more than good vibes to Milan on Wednesday — his security squad reportedly tangled with Dutch speed skating star Marianne Timmer at the Winter Olympics.
Dogg’s playful stint at the Games — from tossing stones in curling to racing a tiny blue sled — made him an instant viral hit. But there was apparently some drama as he was escorted out of the Milano Speed Skating Stadium after the 1,000m competition, when his security reportedly shoved Timmer while she waited to interview athletes.
“I was standing against a wall, and one of the security guards pushed me even closer. I said, ‘Just act normal.’ It’s a really wide hall, about four metres. But then the guy came back, and I said, ‘What? Do I have to go through that wall or something?’,” Timmer told Dutch outlet Sportnieuws.
Timmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, is working as a media commentator at Milano Cortina. She said she was always clear with Dogg’s security staff.
“He came back and started acting all up against me. Then I said something mean back: ‘I’m not here waiting for Snoop Dogg, I’m waiting for Jennings de Boo. We want to see Joep (Wennermars), we want to talk to Kjeld (Nuis) for a moment’.”
She also claimed that Dogg’s security had grown increasingly confrontational. “We saw a Dutchman being roughly escorted away from the stands by some very large security guards… I could just picture myself being grabbed by the neck and thrown out. That would have been a great story.”
Snoop Dogg was tapped as an honorary coach for Team USA in December. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) described his role as a volunteer position focused on “celebrating and supporting American athletes” off the competition stage.
The hip-hop maestro behind hits like “Drop It Like It’s Hot” was everywhere at the Paris Olympics as a special correspondent, and NBC brought him back to deliver his signature takes at the Winter Games. “I’m just here to cheer, uplift, and maybe drop a little wisdom from the sidelines,” said ‘Coach Snoop’ after his official role was revealed.
The Athletic reached out to both the USOPC and NBC for comment on Dogg’s security incident with Timmer, but neither had immediately responded by the time of publication.