Hip-hop artist Flavor Fluff is aiming to organize a celebration in Las Vegas for the U.S. women’s hockey team, who clinched the Olympic gold medal by overcoming Canada at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.
This idea seems to have arisen after he noted that the team turned down President Trump’s invitation to attend the State of the Union address, citing “previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”
Flavor Fluff, whose real name is Williams Jonathan Drayton Jr., shared the formal invitation sent to USA Hockey.
In his email, he enthusiastically congratulated the team: “On behalf of Flavor Fluff, I would like to contact you. First of all, congratulations on your gold medal!!” He mentioned seeing a story about the men’s team being invited to the White House while the women’s team was not. Flav proposed that the women come to Las Vegas for a real celebration, stating that he always backs up what he says. He expressed readiness to create a memorable experience if the team was interested.
The term “less invited” in the email seems to stem from a conversation Trump had after the men’s hockey team secured the gold medal against Canada in a tense extra-innings match, much like the women’s. Trump had mentioned it’s crucial to include the women’s team as well, joking that failing to do so might lead to his impeachment.
The women’s team declined the invitation shortly after Trump’s call. They issued a statement thanking him for recognizing their achievements but noted that timing and prior obligations prevented their participation.
The White House hasn’t responded to inquiries regarding the women’s team’s decision to decline the invitation.
Flavor Fluff’s original social media message hinted at hosting a dinner and a show for the team, hoping “hotels and airlines” would cooperate in celebrating their success. He also expressed a desire to invite his bobsled and skeleton team, who achieved a historic six medals.
Meanwhile, the men’s hockey team landed in Florida shortly after their gold medal victory. They arrived at Miami International Airport, jumping right into celebrations, including plans to visit a nightclub later that night.
“We’re going to celebrate for a few days,” said Jack Hughes, who scored the decisive goal, while addressing the media at the airport.
This isn’t Flavor Fluff’s first show of support for American athletes; he previously helped Olympic discus thrower Veronica Fraley with rent during her financial struggles before she competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Flavor Fluff encouraged Fraley, saying, “Okay, DM me. I’ll pay you today so you don’t have to worry about tomorrow. And tomorrow, I’m rooting for you, let’s go!”
In a related note, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of tennis star Serena Williams, also contributed financially to Fraley’s cause, publicly sharing over $7,000 he sent to help her out. Flavor Fluff mentioned that Fraley’s tweet received attention from around 10 million people, providing her with support for the year.
As for the women’s hockey teams, many are heading home to return to their professional careers, with the Professional Women’s Hockey League set to resume its schedule soon.
The NHL is also preparing to commence its second half of the season shortly.
